Parker had something to prove

Candace Parker, the 4.0 academic average student, graduating after her Junior year of eligibility, and the 2006-2007 NCAA women's Player of the Year, was snubbed by SEC coaches who voted Sylvia Fowles of LSU as the SEC Player of the Year for 2007-2008. When asked about the vote, Candace replied: "Right now, we're all about winning the SEC championship. There's nothing subjective about that, and I'm not worried about who the other coaches voted for as player of the year. If we win the championship on the court, no one can argue with that."

Tonight, #2 seed Tennessee played #1 seed LSU on a neutral court. I watched as much of the game as I could. There were 16 lead changes and 5 ties during the game. With less than 4 minutes left in the game and LSU leading 54-51, my patient called, and I trotted dutifully down the hall to do what needed to be done. When I returned, the game was over, and the channel had picked up another game. In the final three or so minutes while I was away from the TV, the Lady Vols outscored the Bengalettes 10-2 to win the game and the SEC tourney championship by 61-56.

The head-to-head stats for this year's SEC player of the year Fowles and last year's player of the year Parker:


Field Goals: Parker 12-22=54.5% Fowles 9-17=52.9%
Free Throws: Parker 4-8=50% Fowles 1-4=25%
Offensive Rebound Baskets: Parker 1, Fowles 0
Rebounds: Fowles 10, Parker 6
Assists: Parker 1, Fowles 0
Fouls: Parker 1, Fowles 3
Points: Parker 28, Fowles 19
Turnovers: Parker 3, Fowles 5
Blocked Shots: Parker 3, Fowles 2
Steals: Parker 3, Fowles 1

Both athletes had a fine night. Parker had an edge in statistics overall, but Fowles was unstoppable when she got the ball under the basket.

LSU won the regular season with a 14-0 record. Tennessee was 13-1 with a home loss to LSU.