Last year a not-very-deep Michigan State team surprised Tennessee in the national semifinals. It was one of the biggest comebacks in the history of the NCAA tournament.

Yesterday the two schools met in the Virgin Islands. Since this spring, State has lost tanklike center Kelli Roehrig to graduation, and do-everything point guard Kristin Haynie to the WNBA. Tennessee, on the other hand, has seen several posts return from injury, first among them superstar dunker (and shot-blocker and assist-maker and ball-handler) Candace Parker.

Parker didn't dunk, but she did almost everything else: she garnered 14 points, 9 boards, 4 assists, and 4 blocks as Tennesse turned the rematch into a blowout.

Lindsay Bowen had a fine, scrappy game (19 on 7-12) for the Spartans, but (as in the national title game last year) it didn't matter, as MSU's post game-- consisting almost entirely of Liz Shimek-- went nowhere: again and again the 6'1" Shimek found herself double-teamed or out of position on the way to getting her shot blocked. Tennessee had just too many long, tall, experienced posts: with Roehrig gone, MSU had none.

(Weirdly, State outrebounded the Lady Vols-- though Tennessee made so many shots that it didn't much matter who picked up the ones they missed.)

Lady Vol fans celebrate Parker's breakout, along with new composure from three-point ace Shanna Zolman.