Dec. 27, 2000
PHOENIX (AP) - Tennessee proved to be just as successful playing outdoors as in.
On a cool, desert night, Tamika Catchings scored 24 points to lead the No. 2-ranked Lady Vols to a 67-63 victory over Arizona State on Wednesday at Bank One Ballpark, the home of baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks.
Tennessee (11-0) built a 14-point lead midway through the second half, then held off the Sun Devils (7-4) down the stretch to win what was believed to be the first college basketball game played outdoors.
The court sat along the first base line and a curtain was stretched along one side to try to create some intimacy in the 48,000-seat park. But it wasn't enough to ward off the chill from temperatures in the mid-50s in a stadium that has 8,000 tons of air conditioning but no heat.
Kristen Clement added 12 points for Tennessee and Michelle Snow grabbed 14 rebounds. Amanda Levens led Arizona State with 21 points. Betsy Boardman and Melody Johnson each had 10.
The crowd of 16,282, wearing jackets, sweatshirts and some covered in blankets, easily topped Arizona State's previous record of 5,272 and the Pac-10 record of 9,738 set at Oregon.
But it fell far short of the national record of 24,597 Tennessee drew for a 1998 game with Connecticut.
Still, it was a festive occasion in an atmosphere that seemed more fitting for football on a crisp, autumn night. Sparky, the Sun Devils' mascot, paraded back and forth on the roof of the first-base dugout. New age music played as the stadium roof opened an hour before tipoff and the temperature inside immediately cooled.
Space heaters behind the benches warmed the players, though evidently not enough. Tennessee players sat hunched over with their hands inside the sleeves of their warmups
When Clement reported to the scorers' table on one occasion, she was wearing a sweatshirt, her warmup and had a towel draped around her neck. Some Arizona State reserves wore gloves.
Late in the first half, the officials stopped play so a spot on the floor could be wiped off.
"It might be frost," TV announcer Paul Sunderlund cracked.
Ahead just 33-31 early in the second half, Tennessee finished with a 15-3 run with 11 straight points to finally break way. After the Lady Vols scored three straight baskets inside, Gwen Jackson hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key and Clement scored on a putback to make it 48-34.
Arizona State answered with nine straight points to cut the lead to 48-43, and the Sun Devils trailed 51-45 when Amanda Levens sank two free throws after technical foul on Tennessee coach Pat Summitt.
But Tennessee responded. Catchings hit a jumper, Semeka Randall sank two free throws after stealing the ball and Catchings drove for a layup. That made it 57-45 with 3:54 left and the Lady Vols held on.
Tennessee led 29-16 after Tasha Butts converted a three-point play with 5:47 left in the first half. The Lady Vols then started getting sloppy, scoring only one more basket the rest of the half, and Arizona State clawed back.
Two free throws by Boardman and two straight baskets by Levens drew Arizona State to 29-22. After Butts hit a follow shot at the 3:32 mark, Arizona State scored the final five points of the half to cut the lead to 31-27.
The Sun Devils twice got to within two points early in the second half, but Tennessee made the plays it needed to pull away.
By CHUCK SCHOFFNER
AP Sports Writer