European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 5, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 54 stars and stripes thursday april 52007 Tennessee ends 9year Mcaa title drought lady vols beat Rutgers to earn 7th championship by Tom Withers the associated press Cleveland they All signed a pact in january promis ing to give everything they had for the rest of the season now their names will be permanently etched into Tennessee record books these lady vols like so Many before them made history ending a nine year drought be tween Mcaa titles with a swarm ing defense and relentless re bounding Tennessee beat rut Gers 5946 on tuesday night giving the lady vols and coach Pat Summitt their seventh National championship the Standard of excellence in women College basketball ten Nessee haunt won it All since 1998 losing twice in the semifinals and to Connecticut in the title game in 20002003 and 2004 the lady vols would not be de Nied this time our banners going to be in the rafters forever said a Smil ing a american Candace Parker who scored 17 Points weve left our Mark Tennessee came to the Home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in tent on leaving with More than a souvenir Shirl and there head ing Back to Knoxville with another trophy for the display Case and a pledge from Parker that Shell be Back for her Junior season Mon she said Why  i ill be Back wearing or Ange next year in coming Back to Tennessee it might be premature to Start thinking about title no 8 but with the majority of her players Back Summitt whose seven titles Are second Only to John Woodens 10 is positioned to make another run when int she but after Cut Ting Down the nets and hoisting the championship trophy sum Mitt insisted this Crown want any sweeter than the others to just being honest with you this is not about winning no 7 she said this is about this team winning its first for me it was All about helping this team and that5s Why i said were not leaving Here without National the lady vols wanted this title badly almost from the outset they out worked the Young Scarlet knights who waited until the final game of an improbable tournament run to show their in experience maybe we read the headlines or realized it was a National championship game said Rutgers coach c Vivian Stringer denied a women Mcaa tournament Greensboro regional first round saturday March 17 at los Angeles Louisville 80 by 54 Arizona state 57 us Riverside 50 sunday March is at East Lansing Mich Vanderbilt 62 Delaware state 47 Bowling Green 70 Oklahoma state 66 Michigan state 69 Delaware 58 Rutgers 77 East Carolina 34 at Raleigh no Duke 81 holy Cross 44 Temple 64 Nebraska 61 second round monday March 19 at los Angeles Arizona state 67 Louisville 58 tuesday March 20 at East Lansing Mich Rutgers 70 Michigan state 57 Bowling Green 59 Vanderbilt 56 at Raleigh no Duke 62 Temple 52 regional semifinals saturday March 24 at Greensboro no Arizona state 67 Bowling Green 49 Rutgers 53 Duke 52 regional championship monday March 26 at Greensboro no Rutgers 64 Arizona state 45 Dayton regional first round saturday March 17 at Austin Texas Oklahoma 74 Southeast Missouri state 60 Marquette 87 Louisiana Lafayette 58 at Stanford Calif Middle Tennessee 85 Gonzaga 46 Marist 67 Ohio state 63 sunday March 18 at Hartford Conn Mississippi 88 thu 74 Maryland 89 Harvard 65 at Pittsburgh Tennessee 76 Drake 37 Pittsburgh 71 James Madison 61 second round monday March 19 at Austin Texas Oklahoma 78 Marquette 47 at Stanford Calif Marist 73 Middle Tennessee 59 tuesday March 20 at Hartford Conn Mississippi 89 Maryland 78 at Pittsburgh Tennessee 68 Pittsburgh 54 regional semifinals sunday March 25 at Dayton Ohio Tennessee 65 Marist 46 Mississippi so Oklahoma 82 regional championship tuesday March 27 at Dayton Ohio Tennessee 98 Mississippi 62 Dallas regional first round saturday March 17 at Minneapolis Iowa state 79 Washington 60 Georgia 53 Belmont 36 Georgia tech 55 Depaul 54 Purdue 63 Oral Roberts 42 at los Angeles Texas 58 Texas Arlington 50 George Washington 76 Boise state 67 sunday March 18 at Pittsburgh notre Dame 62 California 59 North Carolina 95 Prairie View 38 second round monday March 19 at Minneapolis Georgia 76 Iowa state 56 Purdue 76 Georgia tech 63 at los Angeles George Washington 59 Texas 47 tuesday March 20 at Pittsburgh North Carolina 60 notre Para 51 regional semifinals sunday March 25 at Dallas Purdue 78 Georgia 65 North Carolina 70 George Washington 56 regional championship tuesday March 27 at Dallas North Carolina 84 Purdue 72 Fresno regional first round saturday March 17 at Austin Texas West Virginia 65 Xavier 52 leu 77 North Carolin Asheville 39 at Stanford Calif Florida state 85 old Dominion 75 Stanford 96 Idaho state 58 sunday March 18 at Hartford Conn Wisconsin Green Bay 59 new Mexico 52 Connecticut 82 Umbac 33 at Raleigh my no state 84 Robert Morris 52 Baylor 68 Chattanooga 55 second round monday March 19 at Austin Texas leu 49 West Virginia 43 at Stanford Carf Florida state 68 Stanford 61 tuesday March 20 at Hartford Conn Connecticut 94 Wisconsin Green Bay 70 at Raleigh no no state 78 Baylor 72 it regional semifinals saturday March 24 at Fresno Calif Connecticut 78 no state 71 leu 55 Florida state 43 first championship in her first visit since taking Cheney to the title game 25 years ago we looked like a Deer stuck in headlights the Scarlet knights were brutalized under the Basket As the lady vols grabbed 24 offensive rebounds by Nicky Anosike and  get into an Offen Sive flow nothing was clicking for Ward Heather Zurich said we we rent getting rebounds we we rent playing the defense weve been playing the whole season it just didst look like we wanted it at the beginning if s just frustrating to go out like this after building a 16point Lead and then holding off a late push by Rutgers the lady vols spent the final 30 seconds Dribb Hng out the clock when the final Horn sounded Dominique Redding Flung the Ball High enough to hit the scoreboard As Tennessee players some in tears danced at mid court As Orange Blue and Gold confetti fell on them from above i cant even describe it Parker said if s something Ive dreamed of since i was a Little my a few months Back it was Anosike a Junior Forward from Staten Island by who wrote Down a plan for Success in a Docu ment she titled lady vols pact against the Scarlet knights she followed one of Summit s doctrines coach said before the game offence Sells tickets defense wins games and rebounding wins championships said Anosike who finished with 16 rebounds that really stuck with me throughout the whole game beforehand Parker Felt she had to win a title to be mentioned along with Chalique Holdsclaw Tamika Catchings and Bridgette Gordon three of the Best to play in Knoxville Shes in their class now and she got some help getting there Shannon Bobbitt scored 13 Points nine coming on a flurry of three three pointers in the Sec Ond half Sidney Spencer had 11 Points and Reserve Alberta Augustell All year Long if s been pick your Poison Parker said i was just proud How everybody came together and fought we just took it to them Kia Vaughn had 20 Points and 10 rebounds to Pace Rutgers but the Scarlet knights made far too Many mistakes 18 turnovers and didst have enough firepower to Challenge the lady vols Down the stretch several times Stringer put her hands to her head in disbelief at what she was seeing she had had called her senior less squad of five freshmen three juniors and two sophomores a team of destiny As it turned out Only Tennes see will leave fulfilled this was no doubt the most re warding year Ive had said Stringer who thinks her team will learn from the experience we would like to come Back next year but if s not that simple after Summitt climbed a lad Der to snip the final strand of net from the rim the Orange Clad faithful screamed As one releasing nine years of pent up frustration at not seeing their lady vols reign supreme now All is right on Rocky top this was a team that did not want to be denied Summitt said they did what they had to do to make it happen 9nday March 26 at Fresno Calif leu 73 Connecticut 50 final four at Cleveland National semifinals sunday april 1 Rutgers 59 leu 35 Tennessee 56 North Carolina 50 National championship tuesday april 3 Tennessee 59 Rutgers 46 Wall size Iraq map updated All installations and fobs  get yours in the Friday april 6 your Hometown newspaper