It’s a Repeat for Tennessee

CINCINNATI —  Pat Summitt looked into the hot lights of the interview room, and said it all in two sentences.

“Fifth place in the SEC and first in the country! Doesn’t that sum up what this team has accomplished?”

It did, and it affirmed a couple of points about women’s college basketball in the late 1990s:

--Tennessee’s 68-59 victory Sunday over Old Dominion (34-2), its second straight national championship and fifth since 1987, has put Summitt at the summit, looking down upon all who challenge her.

--Sophomore Chamique Holdsclaw, known as “Mique (as in Meek)” on the Tennessee campus, now becomes the college game’s top player, just as what’s being called Summitt’s best recruiting class in her 23 seasons assembles in Knoxville next September.

Before 16,714 at Riverfront Coliseum, Tennessee (29-10) fashioned a fifth national championship with its most improbable team, a club that stumbled to fifth in the Southeastern Conference and a third-place finish in the SEC tournament.

But it all came down to a couple of players:

--A freshman from Kentucky named Kyra Elzy who played fanatical defense on Old Dominion’s great senior guard, Ticha Penicheiro, in the first half, setting the tone for a team that wouldn’t be denied.

--Holdsclaw, who had 24 points and three assists, was brilliant and provided the game-turning play.

The Volunteers, who were in almost total command of the first half, let a 34-22 halftime lead slip away and in fact lost the lead during Old Dominion’s only run midway through the second half.

No matter, it simply set the table for a 6-foot-2, knock-kneed player with the softest shot in the game.

This was the graceful Holdsclaw’s championship play:

With 5:33 to go and Tennessee clinging to a 51-49 lead, she had the ball at the top of the forecourt. She faked right and left, then made a third fake, showing drive down the paint. She sold it too.

But she pulled up and fired a bullet to 6-1 Pashen Thompson, all alone underneath, and she scored. Then, at the other end, Holdsclaw seized a defensive rebound and Tiffani Johnson scored.

After that, Old Dominion, which also had a 33-game winning streak ended, never came closer than four points.

Yet there was no celebrating on the Tennessee bench until nine seconds remained, when Summitt took out Holdsclaw to a standing ovation--even by some Old Dominion fans.

Now on the verge of a presence in her sport at least equal that of USC’s Cheryl Miller a dozen years ago, here was the performance of Holdsclaw--the Final Four’s most valuable player--down the stretch:

* with 3:02 left, she put a great move on ODU center Clarisse Machanguana and dropped in a soft eight-footer for 57-51 lead.

* at 2:35, she worked herself free underneath and scored a cripple to make it 59-51.

* at 2:28, she went up with the 6-5 Machanguana and blocked her shot.

* at 2:08, she made a great assist to Kellie Jolly--who had a championship game-record 11 assists of her own--for a 61-53 lead.

* at 1:08, she coolly made two free throws for a 63-56 lead.

By herself, she carried this team during the heat of the final minutes, fashioning her sixth consecutive championship season, counting her four straight at Christ the King High in New York City.

Afterward, Old Dominion Coach Wendy Larry credited Elzy, the Volunteer freshman, for setting the tone.

“Under the circumstances, I’d say Pat’s plan to wear down Ticha was brilliant,” she said.

Meanwhile, Summitt seemed almost in awe afterward.

“I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to coach these young ladies, for how they helped me learn and grow as a coach,” she said.