Days like This...

#2
#2
OMG thanks for the great memory! Such fun games. This game is historically noteworthy on several counts. It was divine payback for a rare loss UConn handed us a few weeks earlier in a packed, raucous TBA. The one where Shea Ralph said the arena looked like someone threw up orange all over it.

If not mistaken, I think this is the game where Semeka earned her "Boo" nickname from the Huskie Hoard then proceeded to hit the game winning shot. Also the famous Kara Lawson postgame "We're Number One!" runaround which they took great offense to and held against her for a decade.

This is perhaps my fave LV/UConn game ever:
2000 01 UCONN at Tennessee - YouTube
Beat them 92-88 in an unlikely, great game without Tamika, who had blown her knee out a few weeks earlier. Semeka had an off game and fouled out. But outstanding, gutty games by Kara Lawson, Gwen Jackson, and Ace Clement, yes Ace Clement sporting the Tamika headband of honorary hustle. Another 20,000+ rockin crowd.

This week is the 20th anniversary of perhaps the most exciting LV game I've ever seen:
1997-98 Tennessee vs North Carolina - YouTube

Regional finals against North Carolina at Vandy 1998. Undefeated streak on the line, behind most of the game, LVs stage a furious comeback late featuring Chamique and the Fab Four Frosh - 2 Meeks, Tree Jeter, and Clement. Vandy's ancient, cramped, oddly configured gym was absolutely on fire with LV fans, including me and Tennessee's then govenor who I remember jumping up and down on his chair during the comeback. And Sylvia Hatchell's outfit was ugly, because some things never change!
 
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#3
#3
The only place you can find the full game of Miss. States win last year! Goes all the way back to 1994 Classic UCONN vs Tenn UCONN vs ND and UCONN vs Rutgers!
 
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#4
#4
glv98 said:
OMG thanks for the great memory! Such fun games. This game is historically noteworthy on several counts. It was divine payback for a rare loss UConn handed us a few weeks earlier in a packed, raucous TBA. The one where Shea Ralph said the arena looked like someone threw up orange all over it.

If not mistaken, I think this is the game where Semeka earned her "Boo" nickname from the Huskie Hoard then proceeded to hit the game winning shot. Also the famous Kara Lawson postgame "We're Number One!" runaround which they took great offense to and held against her for a decade.

This is perhaps my fave LV/UConn game ever:
2000 01 UCONN at Tennessee - YouTube
Beat them 92-88 in an unlikely, great game without Tamika, who had blown her knee out a few weeks earlier. Semeka had an off game and fouled out. But outstanding, gutty games by Kara Lawson, Gwen Jackson, and Ace Clement, yes Ace Clement sporting the Tamika headband of honorary hustle. Another 20,000+ rockin crowd.

This week is the 20th anniversary of perhaps the most exciting LV game I've ever seen:
1997-98 Tennessee vs North Carolina - YouTube

Regional finals against North Carolina at Vandy 1998. Undefeated streak on the line, behind most of the game, LVs stage a furious comeback late featuring Chamique and the Fab Four Frosh - 2 Meeks, Tree Jeter, and Clement. Vandy's ancient, cramped, oddly configured gym was absolutely on fire with LV fans, including me and Tennessee's then govenor who I remember jumping up and down on his chair during the comeback. And Sylvia Hatchell's outfit was ugly, because some things never change!
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2000-01 game is one of the most entertaining games ever from start to finish. Such a great crowd, tons of energy, great play from both teams. Both Tennessee and UCONN were very evenly matched teams that year with 2 close games and almost identical records. The early Sweet 16 exit has to go down as one of the most disappointing in Pat’s career, as the 2001 team had great championship potential at full strength.

Despite Tennessee not winning it all, the 2001 season is arguably the best collection of talent any season has ever had. Almost all of the top 10–20 teams had players who were either All Americans or would go on to have very successful WNBA careers. So many great players and teams that year.
 
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#6
#6
This week is the 20th anniversary of perhaps the most exciting LV game I've ever seen:
1997-98 Tennessee vs North Carolina - YouTube

Regional finals against North Carolina at Vandy 1998. Undefeated streak on the line, behind most of the game, LVs stage a furious comeback late featuring Chamique and the Fab Four Frosh - 2 Meeks, Tree Jeter, and Clement. Vandy's ancient, cramped, oddly configured gym was absolutely on fire with LV fans, including me and Tennessee's then govenor who I remember jumping up and down on his chair during the comeback. And Sylvia Hatchell's outfit was ugly, because some things never change![/QUOTE]

That was an awesome 2nd half.
 
#8
#8
The 97-98 UNC/Tennssee game was the first Tennessee basketball game I ever saw. I was 12. I got hooked and have followed ever since!
 
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#11
#11
volfanIND said:
The 97-98 UNC/Tennssee game was the first Tennessee basketball game I ever saw. I was 12. I got hooked and have followed ever since!
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You picked a classic game to come in on! I also used to love going to the SEC tourney at the Roundhouse at UTC during that era.

What I really miss from those days is the passion and intensity from coaches, players, and fans. Due mostly to absence of PHS I'm sure. Today I see more desperation than urgency and that's no fun.
 
#12
#12
glv98 said:
This is perhaps my fave LV/UConn game ever:
2000 01 UCONN at Tennessee - YouTube
Beat them 92-88 in an unlikely, great game without Tamika, who had blown her knee out a few weeks earlier. Semeka had an off game and fouled out. But outstanding, gutty games by Kara Lawson, Gwen Jackson, and Ace Clement, yes Ace Clement sporting the Tamika headband of honorary hustle. Another 20,000+ rockin crowd.
Click to expand...

I say this in the most appreciative and positive light possible, but that 2001 game was the most "men's basketball" game the women's game has ever seen. It's probably the most "men's basketball" game the women's game will ever see. Sold out crowd. Outrageous scalper prices. National media attention all week. Prime time television. Pre-game and post-game events. Two great coaches and two great teams executing head to head against one another. Each facing adversity. Each having new players step up and play ball. The Tennessee-Connecticut rivalry transcended sport for a time there, and that 2001 game was the high water mark. There will never be another moment like it.
 
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#13
#13
I've watched a few of these classic games from that era and the UConn-UT match ups were amazing. The 2000 win at UConn came after a loss to the Huskies at home and the embarrassing game against Georgia only a few later. The 2000 team had talent and an amount of grit to them but felt the effects of the post Holdsclaw-Jolly era more than most expected. That game in Storrs was a back and forth battle that wasn't the most glamorous game but one where the outcome was in doubt until the end.

The 2001 win in Knoxville is definitely one of the most entertaining games I've ever watched. The pace, quality of play and enthusiasm of the crowd made it an atmosphere like almost none before. The teams didn't appear to play much defense but in reality it was just the sheer collection of talent on the floor including both coaches. I also remember it was the game where Abrosimova was injured and it didn't look serious but she never played in another college game. UT's loss to Xavier a few weeks later was stunning to me. It was probably the most baffling tournament loss of that era for the Lady Vols.

The 2002 game in the final four wasn't fun for UT fans but I've watched simply to admire the phenomenal play of the best starting 5 women's basketball will likely ever see in Bird, Cash, Jones, Taurasi and Williams. UT never found their grove and it was over in the early stages.

It's also fun for me to watch the MSU-Uconn FF game from 2017 but for different reasons. :).
 
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#14
#14
MsSportsGuy said:
The teams didn't appear to play much defense but in reality it was just the sheer collection of talent on the floor including both coaches.
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It's as you said. They were playing defense; it was just two greatly talented teams with the ball in their hands. At the highest level, teams will run their offense and score with the ball. And both teams did that. Just a sight to see.
 
#15
#15
MsSportsGuy said:
I've watched a few of these classic games from that era and the UConn-UT match ups were amazing. The 2000 win at UConn came after a loss to the Huskies at home and the embarrassing game against Georgia only a few later. The 2000 team had talent and an amount of grit to them but felt the effects of the post Holdsclaw-Jolly era more than most expected. That game in Storrs was a back and forth battle that wasn't the most glamorous game but one where the outcome was in doubt until the end.

The 2001 win in Knoxville is definitely one of the most entertaining games I've ever watched. The pace, quality of play and enthusiasm of the crowd made it an atmosphere like almost none before. The teams didn't appear to play much defense but in reality it was just the sheer collection of talent on the floor including both coaches. I also remember it was the game where Abrosimova was injured and it didn't look serious but she never played in another college game. UT's loss to Xavier a few weeks later was stunning to me. It was probably the most baffling tournament loss of that era for the Lady Vols.

The 2002 game in the final four was't much for UT fans but I've watched simply to admire the phenomenal play of the best starting 5 women's basketball will likely ever see in Bird, Cash, Jones, Taurasi and Williams. UT never found their grove and it was over in the early stages.

It's also fun for me to watch the MSU-Uconn FF game from 2017 but for different reasons. :).
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Tennessee players watched the Uconn vs MSU game also. Lol
 
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#16
#16
Wow! To re-live those days. Ever notice that the coaches brought it all to the game.
That players brought it.
That the fan base brought it.
That the ref brought it .
Wow! What happened to days like this?
 
#18
#18
Kinger said:
This week is the 20th anniversary of perhaps the most exciting LV game I've ever seen:
1997-98 Tennessee vs North Carolina - YouTube

Regional finals against North Carolina at Vandy 1998. Undefeated streak on the line, behind most of the game, LVs stage a furious comeback late featuring Chamique and the Fab Four Frosh - 2 Meeks, Tree Jeter, and Clement. Vandy's ancient, cramped, oddly configured gym was absolutely on fire with LV fans, including me and Tennessee's then govenor who I remember jumping up and down on his chair during the comeback. And Sylvia Hatchell's outfit was ugly, because some things never change!
Click to expand...

That was an awesome 2nd half.[/QUOTE]

I was there too, probably the most incredible game I've seen in person. Definitely the best atmosphere I've ever been in for a Lady Vol game, too bad Thompson Boling mausoleum could never replicate that. What an amazing team that was...
 
#19
#19
Darth_Vol said:
That was an awesome 2nd half.

I was there too, probably the most incredible game I've seen in person. Definitely the best atmosphere I've ever been in for a Lady Vol game, too bad Thompson Boling mausoleum could never replicate that. What an amazing team that was...
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The one I remember is Tree. She won that game for us. Don’t be so harsh, Darth. I’ve been to games in TBA that the atmosphere was on fire. It is harder to do in a large arena, but it has happened. Hope it does again👍.
 
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