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By JESSICA HOPP
Staff Writer
NORFOLK, Va. Candace Parker's play was eye-catching throughout, but there was one move in particular that said all that needed to be said.
For the Lady Vols, yesterday's game was a slam dunk.
As Tennessee strutted to a 102-54 victory over Army in the first round of the NCAA Women's Tournament before 6,847 fans at Ted Constant Convocation Center yesterday afternoon, Parker put together a pair of high-flying dunks. Each was unique and each equally impressive.
With the feat, the 6-foot-4, redshirt freshman became the first woman to dunk twice during a game, and the first to accomplish even one dunk in the NCAA Women's Tournament.
"I think our whole thing is to bring energy, confidence and a sort of swagger," said Parker, who finished with 26 points and a career-high seven assists. "Being who we are at Tennessee, we want to bring confidence, and that is what dunking does."
With the victory, the Lady Vols (29-4) advanced to the NCAA second round. Army ended its season 20-11. Tomorrow Tennessee will play George Washington for the right to advance to regional play in Cleveland. The Lady Vols are the No. 2 seed in the region, while the Colonials are seeded No. 7.
Parker is the fourth player in NCAA Division I history to dunk during a game. Also on that list are former Lady Vol Michelle Snow, North Carolina's Charlotte Smith, and West Virginia's Georgeann Wells, a 6-foot-7 center who became the first woman to dunk a basketball in a college game on Dec. 21, 1984, against the University of Charleston.
Wells did it again three games later, but Parker didn't wait that long. She made two in one game one in the first half and one in the second.
"It's a relief to finally do it and get it over with," said Parker, who previously attempted a dunk on Feb. 23 against Auburn at Thompson-Boling Arena but missed.
Parker's dunks nearly overshadowed another significant event for the Lady Vols, who celebrated the return of point guard Alexis Hornbuckle. The sophomore broke her right wrist on Feb. 12 against Vanderbilt and was thought to be out for the season, but she was cleared to play late last week and made her first appearance on the court with 14:44 remaining in the first half.
A little more than a minute later, Parker pulled off her first dunk.
Parker's feat was initiated with a block by junior Sidney Spencer, who put her hand up to stop the shot of Army's Alex McGuire and then tipped the ball forward down the court where Parker was sprinting.
Two bounces later the ball was in Parker's hand. She dribbled to the basket and approached it nearly head on as she then jumped up and snuck the ball over the rim with 13:47 to play in the first half. The score sparked a 22-2 run for the Vols, who at the time had been trailing Army by a score of 14-13.
"I think it inspired the team so much," Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt said. "You could feel it in the gym."
The second dunk came on a give-and-go with 14:38 left in the game.
This time, Parker received the ball near the baseline on the right side and in a sweeping movement took off from below the box and slammed the ball home.
"I've been in this business 32 years, and I said to myself, 'I can't believe what I just saw,'" Summitt said. "I didn't think I would be impressed when it happened, but I was. I told her at the end of the game, I said to her, 'Well you got yourself on SportsCenter again, good job.' And she smiled."
Parker said she made her first dunk at 15 years old when she was a sophomore in high school, but she is not the only player currently on the roster who can clear the rim.
Tye'sha Fluker, a 6-5 senior center, practiced dunks right alongside Parker in pregame warm-ups yesterday morning.
The practice clued teammates in that something exciting might be coming.
"She let us know today," said Hornbuckle, who finished with three points, four assists and a team-high six rebounds. "We expected it; we just didn't know when it would happen."
Added teammate Shanna Zolman: "Every time Candace gets the ball, I am buzzing."
No doubt this time the buzz created by Parker's feat will last a little longer than most.
Staff Writer
NORFOLK, Va. Candace Parker's play was eye-catching throughout, but there was one move in particular that said all that needed to be said.
For the Lady Vols, yesterday's game was a slam dunk.
As Tennessee strutted to a 102-54 victory over Army in the first round of the NCAA Women's Tournament before 6,847 fans at Ted Constant Convocation Center yesterday afternoon, Parker put together a pair of high-flying dunks. Each was unique and each equally impressive.
With the feat, the 6-foot-4, redshirt freshman became the first woman to dunk twice during a game, and the first to accomplish even one dunk in the NCAA Women's Tournament.
"I think our whole thing is to bring energy, confidence and a sort of swagger," said Parker, who finished with 26 points and a career-high seven assists. "Being who we are at Tennessee, we want to bring confidence, and that is what dunking does."
With the victory, the Lady Vols (29-4) advanced to the NCAA second round. Army ended its season 20-11. Tomorrow Tennessee will play George Washington for the right to advance to regional play in Cleveland. The Lady Vols are the No. 2 seed in the region, while the Colonials are seeded No. 7.
Parker is the fourth player in NCAA Division I history to dunk during a game. Also on that list are former Lady Vol Michelle Snow, North Carolina's Charlotte Smith, and West Virginia's Georgeann Wells, a 6-foot-7 center who became the first woman to dunk a basketball in a college game on Dec. 21, 1984, against the University of Charleston.
Wells did it again three games later, but Parker didn't wait that long. She made two in one game one in the first half and one in the second.
"It's a relief to finally do it and get it over with," said Parker, who previously attempted a dunk on Feb. 23 against Auburn at Thompson-Boling Arena but missed.
Parker's dunks nearly overshadowed another significant event for the Lady Vols, who celebrated the return of point guard Alexis Hornbuckle. The sophomore broke her right wrist on Feb. 12 against Vanderbilt and was thought to be out for the season, but she was cleared to play late last week and made her first appearance on the court with 14:44 remaining in the first half.
A little more than a minute later, Parker pulled off her first dunk.
Parker's feat was initiated with a block by junior Sidney Spencer, who put her hand up to stop the shot of Army's Alex McGuire and then tipped the ball forward down the court where Parker was sprinting.
Two bounces later the ball was in Parker's hand. She dribbled to the basket and approached it nearly head on as she then jumped up and snuck the ball over the rim with 13:47 to play in the first half. The score sparked a 22-2 run for the Vols, who at the time had been trailing Army by a score of 14-13.
"I think it inspired the team so much," Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt said. "You could feel it in the gym."
The second dunk came on a give-and-go with 14:38 left in the game.
This time, Parker received the ball near the baseline on the right side and in a sweeping movement took off from below the box and slammed the ball home.
"I've been in this business 32 years, and I said to myself, 'I can't believe what I just saw,'" Summitt said. "I didn't think I would be impressed when it happened, but I was. I told her at the end of the game, I said to her, 'Well you got yourself on SportsCenter again, good job.' And she smiled."
Parker said she made her first dunk at 15 years old when she was a sophomore in high school, but she is not the only player currently on the roster who can clear the rim.
Tye'sha Fluker, a 6-5 senior center, practiced dunks right alongside Parker in pregame warm-ups yesterday morning.
The practice clued teammates in that something exciting might be coming.
"She let us know today," said Hornbuckle, who finished with three points, four assists and a team-high six rebounds. "We expected it; we just didn't know when it would happen."
Added teammate Shanna Zolman: "Every time Candace gets the ball, I am buzzing."
No doubt this time the buzz created by Parker's feat will last a little longer than most.
