NASHVILLE, Tenn. — LSU sophomore point guard Temeka Johnson made 12-of-15 free throws including one with 4.5 seconds remaining to shock No. 1-seed Tennessee, 81-80, in the semifinals of the 2002 Southeastern Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament semifinal on Saturday evening in the Gaylord Entertainment Center.
The fourth-seeded Lady Tigers (17-10) — playing only six of their seven healthy players — advanced to the SEC championship game for the first time since 1991, while No. 3-ranked Tennessee’s tournament run ended in the semifinals for the second-straight season. The Lady Vols fell to 25-4 overall.
LSU will face No. 3 seed Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament final on Sunday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. The Commodores survived a 20-point comeback by No. 7 seed Arkansas to advance to face LSU.
Johnson, who had a career-high 18 points, played all 40 minutes and added 10 assists to complete the double double. Doneeka Hodges, who hit two clutch three-pointers in the second half to put LSU up seven points, finished with 23 on 8-of-13 shooting. Aiysha Smith added 14, while Ke-Ke Tardy had 10.
The Lady Tigers shot 26-of-54 from the field for 48.1 percent, including 14 of 23 in the second half (60.9 percent) to improve to 76-3 when scoring more than 75 points over the past six seasons. The key stat of the game was at the free throw line, where LSU was 25 of 29 for 86.2 percent. Tennessee was 17 of 18 at the line for 94.4 percent.
Kara Lawson scored the Lady Vols’ last 13 points of the game in the final 3:51 and led Tennessee with 27 points on 9-of-18 shooting. Michelle Snow was the only other Lady Vol in double figures with 17. Tennessee shot 41.7 percent from the field in the game (30 of 72).
As they tried to keep the pace of the game at medium or lower, the Lady Tigers failed to get off a field goal attempt until the 17:35 mark when Doneeka Hodges nailed an 18-footer from the top of the key, as LSU trailed 6-4. The Lady Vols extended the lead to four, 12-8, at the first media timeout with 15:03 remaining in the first half.
As Tennessee cooled from its 55.6 percent start from the field (5 of 9), the Lady Tigers went on a 10-2 run over the next three minutes to take an 18-14 lead with 12:23 on the clock. Snow’s seven-footer off the glass cut the lead to two going into the timeout at 11:59.
Tennessee took advantage of LSU’s 2-of-8 shooting to go on an 8-4 run, started by a long jumper by Michelle Munoz. The Lady Vols led 24-22 with 7:28 remaining in the half. The Lady Tigers began to score mildly contested layups against the bigger but slower Lady Vols squad, as they stayed with the nation’s No. 3-ranked team with 3:56 left, 31-28.
LSU tied the game on a free throw by Doneeka Hodges after a big defensive stop under the basket. After Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt called a timeout to get her two cents in with the referees after a foul called on Lawson, Hodges made the second for the 32-31 lead.
Snow’s second-chance layup with seven seconds to play put Tennessee in the lead at the half, 35-34.
The pace of the game shifted into a higher gear to start the second half. LSU scored the first four points before Tennessee countered with a 6-0 run of its own to retake the lead, 41-38, with 16:30 remaining in the game.
The Lady Tigers missed their first free throw in 11 attempts at the 16-minute mark, as the teams continued to trade baskets until Doneeka Hodges hit a pair of treys to put LSU in the lead, 50-47, with 12:20 to play.
Undaunted when the Lady Vols took a 55-54 lead on another layup by Snow, LSU went on a 9-2 over the next 2 1/2 minutes to take a 63-57 lead with 6:56 left.
As Tennessee whittled the lead to two on back-to-back possessions, Johnson responded by going to the basket and getting fouled twice. Her four free throws put the Lady Tigers ahead 71-67 with 3:51 to play. Then, Tardy came up with a 17-footer with under 2:30 to play to keep the four-point advantage, 73-69.
A three-point play by Doneeka Hodges put LSU up by seven, 76-69, but Lawson scored 11 straight points to tie the game at 80-80. A blocked shot by Snow on Johnson gave Tennessee the ball with 16.2 seconds remaining.
Doneeka Hodges knocked the ball away from Lawson and Johnson was fouled headed down the court for a layup. Johnson made one of two to put LSU up by one, 81-80, before Tennessee called timeout with 3.3 seconds left.
A baseball pass from Brittany Jackson to Lawson connected, but Lawson missed the 17-footer to give LSU the victory.