Defending national champion Tennessee did only one thing right Friday night: It got Chamique Holdsclaw the ball and got out of her way.
The All-America forward dazzled Notre Dame's defenders and shredded its zone defense for 31 points and an 80-66 victory in a Final Four semifinal. The Lady Vols (28-10) will play Old Dominion (34-1) in the title game on Sunday night.For more than half of the game, it looked like Tennessee was in danger of losing a chance for another title. The Lady Vols hit everything but net, clanged free throws and looked generally disorganized.
Up stepped Holdsclaw, a slashing forward who can dribble behind her back, hit turnaround jumpers and post up. Notre Dame (31-7) saw it all and stopped virtually none of it.
Holdsclaw scored 13 of the Lady Vols' 23 points over a 10-minute stretch of the second half, when Tennessee pushed a slim lead to eight. She then made the highlight films and ended Notre Dame's hopes by taking a pass, dribbling behind her back and pulling up for a 15-footer that made it 64-52 with six minutes left.
Holdsclaw scored 19 in the second half and finished 13-of-25 from the field.
It will be Tennessee's seventh appearance in the title game. The Lady Vols have won four national championships in the last 10 years.
The outcome was no surprise. Tennessee had everything in its favor: much more depth and much more experience at this type of thing. The Lady Vols have been in 10 of the last 16 Final Fours; the Irish had never come this close.
There also was the little matter of the teams' history together. Tennessee has won all 13 of its games against Notre Dame, only two of them decided by fewer than 10 points.
Tennessee won the game in the Preseason NIT 72-59 even though point guard Kellie Jolly was still rehabbing a torn knee ligament. She came back and led the Lady Vols to the Final Four.