Lady Vols get past their past with strong start

"It's crazy to think we've already accomplished more than we did last year."

Alicia Manning

One victory was no small feat for Tennessee Saturday afternoon.

The result felt like a year in the making.

The Lady Vols turned the page on a grim chapter of their NCAA women's basketball tournament history with a 75-42 first-round win over Austin Peay before a Thompson-Boling Arena crowd of 10,922.

A 71-55 loss to Ball State at this tournament juncture last season raised the stakes for a game that usually plays out like a one-sided formality.

We've been talking throughout the week,'' UT forward Alicia Manning said. "And coming back to the locker room after the win, it's crazy to think we've already accomplished more than we did last year."

The achievement was a little confounding, too.

In some respects, Tennessee (31-2) looked the part of the Memphis Regional's No. 1 seed in advancing to the second round on Monday night (TV: ESPN2, 7 p.m.) against Dayton (25-7), which overcame an 18-point second-half deficit to beat TCU 67-66 in Saturday's other first-round game. Center Kelley Cain converted 9 of 11 shot attempts and scored a team-high 18 points. The 6-foot-6 redshirt sophomore also grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds, part of UT's 47-28 advantage.

Teammate Alyssia Brewer peeked at the postgame stat sheet and stated the obvious.

"When you have a performance like that from someone, I mean, get them the ball,'' she said.

At the same time, the Lady Vols meandered against Austin Peay (15-18) after bolting to a 15-0 lead from the opening tip, finishing beneath their usual standard. In 12 previous games as a top seed against a No. 16 seed, Tennessee's average margin of victory was 46 points.

UT coach Pat Summitt said that she wasn't alarmed by the performance. But she was concerned enough to be planning video sessions today with at least three players.

"I think some players really came and brought energy,'' assistant coach Dean Lockwood said. "I think some were a little apprehensive. We probably had three or four kids who didn't play to the best of their abilities."

Count Cain among the first group. She scored three baskets within the first four minutes and had 10 points by halftime, cramming her productivity into 22 playing minutes.

Guards Angie Bjorklund and Shekinna Stricklen were energetic, if not always accurate.

Bjorklund needed a few shots to get zeroed in before hitting four 3-pointers and scoring 14 points. Point guard Stricklen looked like a power forward against the overmatched Lady Govs, scoring twice on putbacks as part of her 12 points.

Freshman guard Taber Spani, meanwhile, scored nine points in her NCAA debut, her biggest output in nearly a month.

"It's nice to get some confidence with your shot,'' said Spani, who was 4 for 7 from the floor, "and just kind of get your feet wet and get into it. So it felt good."

Conversely, Manning, who was stuffing her stat line at the SEC tournament, had one basket and three rebounds before fouling out.

"I feel like I had the day off,'' she said. "I don't know. I guess I was just being overly aggressive."

Forwards Brewer and Glory Johnson combined for 17 rebounds but also 6 for 18 shooting from primarily close range.

"Now that we have this first game out of us, I think we'll be a little better, a little more calm, especially myself,'' Johnson said.

Summitt, as previously noted, intends to assist with the process. She was planning to meet with Brewer, Johnson and freshman Kamiko Williams, who played 19 minutes and scored four points.

"Those three are difference makers for us," Summitt said. "Hopefully tomorrow after I watch film with all three of them and we get back on the court, they will be a little bit better."

Manning might be invited to the film festival as well.

"She's been playing great,'' Summitt said. "Don't overthink the game or your role. Go play like you've been playing."

Dan Fleser may be reached at 865-342-6288.