Tennessee's call for more scorers didn't fall on deaf ears or reluctant shooters.

One game after having just two players in double figures, the top-ranked Lady Vols had three before halftime. They finished with four in a 92-67 women's basketball victory over No. 21 Texas before an announced crowd of 15,699 at Thompson-Boling Arena.

There were other worthy achievements on a Sunday afternoon that began with the Lady Vols raising the banner to commemorate last season's national championship. Among the other statistics, the Lady Vols gathered 18 steals and had 24 assists.

The first half, which ended with Tennessee leading 51-32, was lauded by Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt for defense rather than offense.

"The first half was our best defensive effort of the year by far,'' she said.

Still, the top priority was more points from players other than Candace Parker and Shannon Bobbitt, who combined for 55 in Thursday's hard-fought 70-67 victory over No. 9 Oklahoma in Tampa, Fla. The Lady Vols (3-0) rearranged the scoring column to the point where the 51 first-half points, their highest output for a half so far this season, didn't require a single point from Bobbitt.

"I know they were looking for contributions from players other than Candace and Shannon,'' Texas coach Gail Goestenkors said. "They got it today."

It didn't start out that way with Tennessee's first 11 points scored by Parker, who finished with a game-high 21. Angie Bjorklund and reserve Alex Fuller came to their teammate's assistance in rapid-fire fashion, amassing 13 points and 11 points respectively by the break.

Fuller finished with a career-high 18, shooting 7-for-8 from the field. Bjorklund scored 16, swishing four of Tennessee's nine 3-pointers.

"I could've been 7-for-7 but I had somebody in my ear,'' said Fuller, who was coaxed into her one miss by someone on the bench.

"I'm not going to say any names,'' Fuller said. "I'm going to point."

She then gestured toward Parker, who was sitting next to her in the interview room. Fuller's output amounted to a big difference from her two points against Oklahoma.

"I think we have so much confidence in her to come off the bench and score for us and contribute in other ways,'' Summitt said.

Fuller also took three charges, which she described as painful acts of spontaneity.

"I clearly wasn't thinking because they're hard and I got hurt,'' she said. "But my teammates were beat (defensively) so I had to step out and sacrifice my body."

Bjorklund was a different shooter than the callow youth who was 1-for-6 versus Oklahoma. She was more accurate and more aggressive in going 6-for-14.

Earlier this fall, Summitt was talking on the telephone with someone about Bjorklund when the freshman forward walked into her office. The gist of the conversation was that Bjorklund has the green light as a shooter.

"When I hung up I asked, 'Is what I said OK?' " Summitt said. "And she (Bjorklund) said, 'Yeah, no one's ever told me I have the green light.' "

The message bears repeating before Wednesday night's game against No. 19 West Virginia in Charleston, W. Va.

"We need to play all our games here,'' Summitt said of Bjorklund. "She's very comfortable in Thompson-Boling Arena."

Alexis Hornbuckle was Tennessee's other double-figure scorer with 13 points, 11 in the second half. The Lady Vols senior guard also had six assists, five steals and five rebounds.

"Alexis' defense was terrific,'' Summitt said. "I thought she was the one player that just disrupted so much of what (Texas) wanted to do offensively."

Texas (2-1) got some things accomplished. Three double-figure scorers were led by Brittainey Raven's 18 points. Ashley Lindsey grabbed a game-high nine rebounds as the Longhorns won that battle, 36-34.

None of their accomplishments, however, could cover for 30 turnovers. The game's fast pace, which was preferred by both teams, worked out more to Tennessee's advantage.

"That has been good for us and will be good for us,'' Goestenkors said, "but we need to learn when to push and to be able to push with poise. We didn't have a lot of poise."

Notebook: Tennessee's Parker on the banner raising: "It's really exciting to see your mark left on Tennessee. As a class, we came here wanting to win a national championship, wanting to win several national championships. So to see the banner raised with the others is just an amazing feeling."

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.