Adams: Cain plays through the knee pain

Tennessee center Kelley Cain bent over in pain and limped off the court with 2:53 to play in the first half Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena.

It was a familiar, unfortunate scene that raised the question: Would she be back?

The answer was crucial for a program struggling far below its usual championship level, against a Mississippi State team that seemingly had the wherewithal to extend the Lady Vols' losing streak to three games.

But Cain came back. So did her team.

And with the 6-foot-6 redshirt freshman leading the way, the Lady Vols roared past the Lady Bulldogs in the final minutes for an 82-68 victory.

Cain made eight of 12 field-goal attempts, had a team-high 11 rebounds, scored 15 of her 17 points in the second half and blocked four shots.

"She makes everybody's job easier because she draws so much attention," said UT assistant coach Dean Lockwood, who coaches the post players. "She's a force."

Cain's ability to alter a game is obvious. She has size, a soft shooting touch and natural basketball instincts, as evidenced by her timing on a couple of clutch blocks down the stretch.

But the first-half burst of pain and the ice pack on her right knee are as much a part of her game as the skills that made her a high school All-American.

No one is more aware of that than her parents. Harold and Lynda Cain often make the drive from Atlanta to watch their daughter's ongoing battle to overcome a knee that first sabotaged her promising career when she was a sophomore in high school.

"It's an emotional roller coaster," Lynda said. "I'm wondering if she will be able to come back. Will she be able to complete the game?"

Kelley didn't know, either, when she left. All it takes is a direct hit on the knee to bring her game to a painful halt.

"I know she's in pain," said Harold, a former Clemson tight end. "Sometimes, I wonder if anyone understands the type pain she in. It's hurting."

Cain has learned to live with the pain and trust her well-being to Jenny Moshak, UT's associate athletic director for sports medicine. Moshak and a massive dose of ice did the trick at halftime Sunday.

The Lady Vols should be as grateful as Cain's parents. It was obvious: If she hadn't come back, neither would have the Lady Vols.

Cain attracted such a crowd of Mississippi State defenders, she opened up the perimeter on offense, and alleviated the pressure on UT's guards at the other end of the floor as well. When the quicker Mississippi State guards dribbled past defenders, they still had to contend with Cain looming near the basket.

"We want to make her a go-to player," UT coach Pat Summitt said. "That has given her responsibility and confidence."

It also has provided further motivation to play through the pain and maintain her ongoing regimen of rehab.

"Depending on what time my classes are, I'll either go to the training room before class or I'll stay and ice after practice," Cain said. "I spend at least an hour every day working on (the knee). I'm definitely feeling the benefits."

There's more to it than hard work. Cain has learned to accept the limitations fostered by a knee that was operated on in December of 2007 and caused her to sit out the 2007-08 season. Although she has been advised that she doesn't risk structural damage to the knee by playing, she still has to contend with the pain and the reality that she's not 100 percent.

The Lady Vols are optimistic that Cain will be healthier next season. Lockwood said she might have off-season surgery to remove the metal screws surgically placed in her right knee.

But what happened Sunday was all about this season. Cain played 26 minutes, performed better in the second half than the first after aggravating her knee, and felt good enough to quickly venture from the post to the perimeter to deflect a Mississippi State 3-pointer in the last five minutes.

"She has seen that she can make a difference for this team," Summitt said.

That difference was evident to everyone in Thompson-Boling Arena on Sunday afternoon.

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