Her team lost and, of course, that's all that mattered. But in the game within the game, the one where big bodies battle for position and angles and points and rebounds and whistles, Georgia's Tasha Humphrey came off pretty good.

The freshman scored 25 points. She hit 10 of 16 shots, the last one a 3-pointer from the corner. And despite finding herself in early foul trouble, she watched not one, not two, but three Tennessee Lady Vols trudge to the sideline with their fifth fouls.

"She's certainly a handful,'' said Tennessee coach Pat Summitt.

When Summitt was unable to convince the 6-foot-3 prep All-American from Gainesville, Ga., to join the Lady Vols' star-studded signing class, she probably suspected there would be nights like this to come.

The Lady Vols' 77-70 victory Monday night was a testament to several things, not the least of which was depth. Humphrey required defense by committee.

Tye'sha Fluker fouled out. Nicky Anosike fouled out. Finally, Sydney Spencer fouled out.

Even Shyra Ely helped out for a few minutes.

"Humphrey is a great offensive player,'' said Fluker. "She uses her size well and she has a great fall-away jump shot that I haven't seen many women have playing at this level.''

A powerful 6-3 woman with a serious fade-away is, as Summitt said, a handful.

"That (learning the fade) was back when I was younger,'' Humphrey said, "back when I was all about Michael Jordan.

"I saw him doing it. Mine's not as good as his, but it'll do.''

But you can't hit a fade-away from the bench, which is where Humphrey went after picking up her third foul with 4:38 left in the first half.

She would soon turn the tables, however.

Fluker picked up her third foul 15 seconds in the second half.

Anosike was tagged with Nos. 3 and 4 in a span of 48 seconds with 17:02 still to play.

Fluker returned with 9:03 to play and lasted all of eight seconds before she got No. 4.

"They called a foul on me every 20 seconds,'' she said.

Fluker marched to the bench, replaced by Anosike. Sixty-three seconds later, Anosike fouled out, giving Humphrey the one to complete a three-point play.

"They can't guard you if they're sitting on the bench,'' said Humphrey. "You try to go at them and go at them strong.''

Fluker returned and, with a layup and two free throws - on Humphrey's fourth foul - made the most of the nearly two minutes she lasted.

With 5:46 to play, Fluker tried to go at Humphrey strong but was called for a charge.

"Of course I don't always agree with the fouls that are called,'' said Fluker. "But you just have to keep up and keep cheering on your team.

"That's what my role was at the end of the game.''

She was cheering for Spencer, the 6-3 sophomore.

"I knew our two bigs (post players) had fouled out,'' said Spencer, "and being big as well, I knew not to go anywhere near if there was a foul.''

And she didn't until the issue was decided.

In the end, Humphrey outlasted them all. Georgia coach Andy Landers summed it up as pretty typical night at the office for his prodigious rookie.

"I think she takes an awful lot of punishment to get done what she does,'' Landers said. "Most teams are putting two and three people on her.

"We're just happy when we can the ball in her hands. It's not an easy thing to do.''

Nor is stopping her when she does get the ball in her hands.

Said Summitt, "That's a lot to look forward to the next three years isn't it?''