DAYTON, Ohio -- The Ole Miss Rebels said Sunday they were a different team than the one Tennessee beat in Knoxville last month. And they proved it Tuesday night at the University of Dayton Arena.

They were worse. A lot worse.

In fact, the Rebels played so ineptly, it seems inappropriate to include them in the same sentence with "Elite Eight." This was more akin to the junior high vs. the varsity.

And the varsity was wearing orange.

The Lady Vols led by as many as 31 points in the first half on their way to a 98-62 victory and their 17th Final Four. They were so dominant, so fast, it's a wonder the NCAA didn't call an emergency session of the competition committee and order a 30-point, first-half mercy rule.

Who says the NCAA tournament is supposed to get tougher as you go? Drake offered more competition in the first half of its first-round game against UT, which you can't even describe as "tournament tested" after four one-sided games.

Their first three tournament games were decided by an average of 24 points. Their closest game was a 68-54 victory over Pittsburgh in the second round.

The Rebels fell behind by 14 points after the jump ball. Just kidding. But it seemed that way.

During one extremely dominant stretch of the first half, UT scored seven consecutive field goals on layups. A reverse layup constituted a difficult shot, and Candace Parker made several with ease.

"The game's not over," UT women's athletic director Joan Cronan said as she passed through the media work room at halftime.

Her smile told you what she really thought.

How bad was it?

• Parker looked 7-foot-5 instead of 6-5 against the Rebels, who had only eight field goals -- compared to Parker's four blocks -- in the first half.

• Ole Miss' leading scorer Armintie Price made five of eight shots in the first half and scored 15 of Ole Miss' 22 points. Her teammates were a combined 3-for-27.

• Shooting percentage was a misnomer. In the latter stage of the first half, the Rebels had resorted to throwing the ball toward the basket with disastrous results.

• UT even beat Ole Miss at "small ball." Shannon Bobbitt, the Lady Vols' 5-2 point guard, scored 10 points in only nine minutes of the first half against the Rebels, whose tallest starter was listed as 6-1.

At no point in the game were you reminded that the seventh-seeded Rebels upset second-seeded Maryland and third-seeded Oklahoma. A week earlier, they led defending national champion Maryland 33-12. They trailed UT 30-12 after 11 minutes. And their full-court pressure defense, which disrupted previous tournament opponents, had no impact on the Lady Vols, who broke it repeatedly for easy baskets.

But when you consider how well Ole Miss has played against nationally ranked opponents -- in the regular season as well as the NCAA tournament -- you gain an appreciation for the Lady Vols' performance.

And you gain a greater appreciation when you compare their body of tournament work to all the other one-through-four seeds who have fallen by the wayside.

In a tournament where underdogs have produced the biggest headlines, the Lady Vols have overwhelmed one underdog after another.