NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The SEC tournament championship came down to a game of one-on-one Sunday night at Alltel Arena.

Tennessee put the game in the hands of its best offensive player, Candace Parker. And LSU put Parker in the hands of its best defensive player, Scholanda Hoston.

Parker won the battle, and UT won the tournament with a 63-62 victory.

But don't get the wrong idea. Hoston didn't do anything wrong.

In fact, other than failing to grow about six inches in the last minute, she did everything right.

"I forced her to her left where I felt it was a little less of a comfort zone for her," Hoston explained.

One problem: Parker's comfort zone isn't your average comfort zone. She has proved that repeatedly in the last few weeks, expanding both her offense and her role as the Lady Vols have made a late-season push for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Parker accepted Hoston's challenge, then used her athleticism and 6-foot-5 height to rise above her 5-10 defender and make an 8-foot shot with 17 seconds to play.

"Coach told me to dribble out a little bit of time, then run our isolation play and go one-on-one," Parker said. "I knew I had the height advantage over her."

She knew something else, too: LSU couldn't risk double-teaming her. Shanna Zolman and Sidney Spencer had shot too well from the perimeter for that.

"She's such a good passer, if you come with the (double-team) too soon, she'll hit a shooter wide open," LSU coach Pokey Chatman said of Parker.

The play didn't just win the game for UT. It provided a highlight tape of what a complete player Parker has become in her first college season.

Her height, athleticism, ball-handling and passing ability all factored into that decisive play. Her versatility also was evident after LSU took a 55-48 lead with 8:24 to play.

UT coach Pat Summitt called a timeout, put Parker inside and moved Nicky Anosike to the perimeter. The switch revitalized a sputtering UT offense.

The night before, Parker was more valuable as a ball-handler against a quick but small Georgia team.

UT's post players Tye'sha Fluker and Anosike overwhelmed Georgia's weaker front line, but they struggled against 6-6 LSU center Sylvia Fowles, who blocked six shots in the first half.

"If we're struggling like we were tonight in the paint, we'll just put (Parker) in there," Summitt said. "I believe she's the best player in the country on the blocks."

Summitt's decision to move Parker inside helped open up the middle for Fluker. She made two of her three baskets in the next three minutes as the Lady Vols scored 10 consecutive points to take a three-point lead.

Parker excelled both inside and outside to win the SEC tournament MVP award. She had 20 points, six rebounds and three assists against the third-ranked Lady Tigers. In three tournament games, she averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

"I don't think there's any question who the freshman player of the year (nationally) should be," Summitt said. "There's no one else who can do what she can do. We ask her to play the point position, we post her up, we let her face up."

Parker's versatility is nothing new. Summitt was aware of it two years ago when she recruited her from Naperville, Ill.

"When she decided to come here, I was relieved," Summitt said. "I did not want to play against her.

"I told someone, 'If she doesn't come here, it's time for me to retire - because she's going to make my life miserable.' "

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.