CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Candace Parker made sure Tennessee
teammate Alexis Hornbuckle's homecoming was a success.
Parker scored a season-high 29 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to
lead the top-ranked Lady Vols to a 67-49 win over No. 16 West
Virginia on Wednesday night.
Hornbuckle added 12 points in her first game at the Charleston
Civic Center since winning four state championships there.
Tennessee (4-0) held a 50-35 rebounding advantage against what
coach Pat Summitt called the most physical opponent the Lady Vols
have faced. Tennessee beat a ranked team for the third time in six
days, including No. 21 Texas on Sunday and No. 10 Oklahoma last
Thursday.
"I'm very pleased with the defensive intensity on the boards
tonight," Summitt said. "Candace has really played well at both
ends of the floor. I'm really proud of where she's taken her
game."
The Mountaineers (3-1) had averaged 83 points in their first
three games but were held to their lowest output of the season,
shot 31 percent from the floor and couldn't figure out Tennessee's
taller frontcourt.
"They exposed some of our weaknesses," said West Virginia
coach Mike Carey, who fell to 7-32 against ranked opponents. "They
interrupted the passing lanes."
Olayinka Sanni led West Virginia with 16 points before fouling
out with 6:27 remaining.
Parker scored seven points in a two-minute stretch of the second
half and the Lady Vols extended an 11-point halftime lead to 57-39
with eight minutes remaining.
"There's no doubt in my mind she's the best player in the
country," Carey said. "She gives you a lot of problems. I'd like
to have about three of (her)."
Hornbuckle had gone to the bench one point shy of 1,000 for her
career and pleaded with Summitt to put her back in.
"I said, 'Coach, I wanted to get my 1,000th point at home,"
Hornbuckle said. "She was gracious enough to allow me to do that
and I appreciate that."
Hornbuckle's lay-up with 5:25 left gave Tennessee its largest
lead, 63-43.
Summitt had arranged the game for Hornbuckle, a three-time West
Virginia player of the year. Before the game Hornbuckle received
the loudest ovation from the crowd of 10,677, the largest to ever
watch a women's basketball game in the state.
"I'd rather that five people be here and we won," Carey said.
The Lady Vols led for all but the game's first two minutes.
Parker scored 12 early points, mostly from close range, West
Virginia had trouble finishing layups and Tennessee jumped ahead
22-9 midway through the first half.
"We knew our front line could really punish them inside,"
Parker said. "That was our focal point. We wanted to establish
points in the paint."
Tennessee then went scoreless over a four-minute span and
Chakhia Cole and Sanni each had two baskets to bring West Virginia
within 24-20 with 5:21 left until halftime. The Mountaineers got no
closer.