Nov. 24, 2006
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Candace Parker scored 25 points, including her fourth career dunk, to help No. 4 Tennessee to a 77-60 victory over No. 11 Stanford on Friday night.
The Lady Vols (4-0) led most of the game, despite a breakthrough performance from freshman Jayne Appel. In just her third game of the year, Appel converted on 10-17 from the field for a career-best 23 points to match five rebounds and five blocks in 30 minutes.
Candice Wiggins added 18 points and Jillian Harmon chipped in with 10 points off the bench.
Stanford shot 45.6-percent on the evening, but Tennessee was slightly better at 50-percent (including a 60.9-percent clip in the second half).
Tennessee held a 37-26 rebounding edge and racked up 13 steals. The Lady Vols also held a distinct edge at the foul line, making 18 of 19 attempts. The Cardinal was just 3-9, with eight of those tries by Appel.
Wiggins nailed a triple to begin the game and a inside bucket from Brooke Smith provided Stanford with its final lead of the game at 5-4 with 16:36 remaining.
Leading 13-11, Tennessee embarked on a 14-4 scoring run to go up 27-15 with just over five minutes left to play in the first half. The Lady Vols took a 35-28 lead into the break.
The Cardinal (2-2) twice cut the lead to nine late in the second half, and Tennessee answered with 3-pointers.
The second time, Appel got an easy basket that trimmed it to 56-47 with 8:02 remaining, and Tennessee's Sidney Spencer hit a 3 at the other end.
The teams traded baskets before the Lady Vols pulled away with a quick 6-0 run on a jumper by Parker and four free throws by Alexis Hornbuckle to make it 69-51.
Spencer finished with 10 points. Parker recorded her dunk in the first half and added nine rebounds.
Stanford wraps up its two-game SEC road trip on Sunday at No. 8 Georgia. Tip-off is 12 p.m. PST and the game will be televised by Fox Sports Net.
NOTES: Stanford is now 2-2 for the first time since the 1999-2000 campaign ... Stanford has suffered two losses in November for the first time since an 0-3 start in 1998-99 ... Stanford's first road game of the year also signals the start of a traditional road game routine, with both players and staff attempting half-court shots at the end of shoot-around. Only assistant coach Karen Middleton found the net during the practice session. But Candice Wiggins saved her best for the real thing, banking in a 60-footer as time expired to end the first half ... Jayne Appel's 23 points and five rebounds were both career-highs ... Tonight marked the first time this year Stanford did not lead at halftime (35-28 Tennessee) and was outshot from the field (50-percent compared to 45.6) ... 12 of Candice Wiggins' 18 points came from three-point territory ... In 33 minutes of action off the bench, Jillian Harmon scored a season-best 10 points to go along with three rebounds and four steals ... A good size contingent of Cardinal supporters (family and friends) made the first leg of this weekend's road trip ... Stanford held an 18-13 edge in assists.