When Stanford came up to the Barn two weeks ago, Candice Wiggins looked unstoppable, Kristen Newlin proved herself a legit big, and Brooke Smith-- the power forward much-touted for her hook shot-- made clear that she'd score in bunches if you let her. The way to beat Stanford, as the Gophers proved, was to double Smith, help out on Wiggins, rebound a lot, use post depth if you have it, and make the Cardinal shoot from outside.

That's what Tennessee did yesterday, and it worked.

Stanford looked much better at home (and on TV) than they did at Minnesota-- more Cardinal players attempted, and made, more threes, and Newlin was an absolute hero, with a double-double and a career high.

But it wasn't enough to beat Tennessee. Shanna Zolman went nuts (21 points on 8-13 shooting). Candace Parker had her own double-double. And Newlin, at times, looked all alone in the paint: Stanford fought back from a seven-point halftime gap to tie the game at 47, but Newlin then picked up her fourth foul, and by the time she came back the Lady Vols had the momentum. Soon they had the lead.

Parker is tired of questions about dunking; Brooke Smith is even more tired after guarding Parker most of the game. Smith on Parker: "She's extremely versatile. She's mobile. She's long and lanky. She turns around and her arms just keep going.'' Parker and Wiggins played together for USA Basketball this summer, where their nicknames were "Ace" and "Ice."

It's been almost nine years since the Cardinal beat Tennessee. Stanford coach Vanderveer, on the sellout crowd: "People feel really disappointed and really hurt by the loss. We're not excited to be close."