Tennessee edges Louisiana State, 47-46

TAMPA, Fla. -- Alexis Hornbuckle didn’t let her second chance go to waste.

Hornbuckle, a senior guard for the Tennessee women’s basketball team, made up for her mental error in the closing seconds Sunday night against Louisiana State and scored her only field goal of the game off an offensive rebound with under a second remaining, lifting the top-seeded Lady Vols to a 47-46 victory at St. Pete Times Forum.

Tennessee (35-2) advanced to play Stanford in the national championship game Tuesday, as the Lady Vols try to win their eighth title. The Cardinal defeated Tennessee in overtime in December at Stanford.

It was the lowest-scoring game in women’s Final Four history.

Hornbuckle shot an air ball on Tennessee’s second-to-last possession, her eighth consecutive missed field goal, then fouled guard Erica White as she brought the ball up the floor. White made both free throws with 7.1 seconds remaining, and the Lady Vols were at a one-point deficit.

After a timeout, Candace Parker drove toward the basket, then flipped a pass to center Nicky Anosike, who missed. Hornbuckle was in position to snare the rebound and bank it in with 0.07 of a second left on the clock.

“The way things were going, I was thinking, ‘I don’t want to pull this down, with my luck, I should just tip it in,’ ” said Hornbuckle, who hit the game-clinching three-point basket in the Oklahoma City Regional final against Texas A&M.;

Louisiana State tried a length-of-the-floor pass, but it fell into the hands of Tennessee, handing the second-seeded Tigers (31-6) their fifth consecutive Final Four defeat.

“I just wanted them to experience winning a game at the Final Four,” said Coach Van Chancellor. “I just felt bad because some way, somehow, I was unable to get them there.”

Parker, who had a brace on her left shoulder after injuring it in the regional final, wasn’t at her best, missing 21 of 27 shots and scoring 13 points. However, she contributed 15 rebounds, three blocks and two steals.

Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt thought fatigue was a factor in Parker’s off night, the result of rehabilitation and lack of sleep since the injury.

“I just think she was a little emotionally spent,” Summitt said. “She needs a lot of rest between now and Tuesday night.”

Fowles, a 6-foot-6 center who is expected to be selected second behind Parker in the WNBA draft Wednesday, finished with a game-high 24 points and 20 rebounds but made only four of 11 from the free-throw line.

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