No. 1 Tennessee Defeats No. 14 Stanford, 88-70

SAN JOSE —  An acrobatic layup by Tennessee star Chamique Holdsclaw keyed a 12-0 run to start the second half and paved the way for the top-ranked Volunteers to defeat No. 14 Stanford, 88-70, Saturday before 8,025 at the San Jose Arena.

Holdsclaw, a 6-foot-2 junior who finished with 25 points, leaped high and, while airborne, teased Stanford defenders by moving the ball right, then left, before laying it in.

It was the second basket of the 12-0 run and showed why Holdsclaw already has clinched a berth on the 2000 U.S. women’s Olympic team.

At least one rival coach, Louisiana Tech’s Leon Barmore, calls her the best collegian ever.

And Barmore says of No. 1 Tennessee: “In women’s basketball, parity is from No. 2 to No. 25.”

For Tennessee (5-0), which has won five national championships--including the last two--Saturday’s victory was a payback for Stanford’s 82-65 victory at Knoxville a year ago.

Stanford (1-3) was left reeling by the onslaught of what some are calling the best recruiting class in the history of the women’s game, over which the steady, 20-year-old Holdsclaw presides. Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt started a freshman, two sophomores and two juniors, and the freshman, Tamika Catchings, produced 20 points and eight rebounds on a day in which Tennessee outrebounded the losers, 53-34.

Another freshman, Semeka Randall, came off the bench to score 17 points and grab 11 rebounds.

After Stanford had taken a 45-44 lead at the break, Summitt delivered a locker room presentation focusing solely on defense.

“I said I wanted them to set a tone for how we were going to play the second half,” Summitt said.

“This team is athletic, it has speed and quickness and I want those assets directed to the defensive end. I think we did that in the second half.”

Tennessee outscored Stanford in the second half, 44-25. From a one-point halftime deficit, Tennessee built a 69-54 lead in 10 minutes.

When asked to compare this group to the last two NCAA title teams, Holdsclaw said: “The talent level is much higher with this team. . . . We have more people who will get out there and really compete.”

Stanford Coach Tara VanDerveer did not get much production from guards Melody Peterson and Christina Batastini, who were a combined three for 15 from the field.

But it’s early, VanDerveer said.

“This is November,” she said. “We have a lot of time and we need to use it wisely.”

Added Stanford senior Vanessa Nygaard, who had a game-high 10 rebounds: “The bottom line is we are winners. We will win.”

Pepperdine 65, Florida 51--The Waves outscored Florida, 15-4, in the final 6:19 to upset the fifth-ranked Gators at Firestone Fieldhouse. Florida (4-1) scored the first eight points of the second half to take a five-point lead, and led, 36-30, before Pepperdine (3-1) went on a 13-5 run to take a 43-41 lead. It remained close until the Waves went on their game-ending run.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.