Tennessee’s Streak Ended by Purdue

The No. 1-ranked Tennessee women’s basketball team had its 46-game winning streak stopped Sunday, as the Volunteers lost to No. 5 Purdue, 78-68, in the State Farm Women’s Tip-Off Classic at West Lafayette, Ind.

Stephanie White-McCarty scored 24 points to lead Purdue, and four consecutive free throws by Katie Douglas, who was seven of eight from the foul line, helped Purdue hold off a late Tennessee rally.

Tennessee went 39-0 last season in winning its third consecutive women’s championship. The Lady Volunteers (1-1) were a unanimous pick as No. 1 in this season’s preseason poll.

Tennessee was led by Chamique Holdsclaw with 22 points, but she needed 20 shots to reach the total.

“Realistically being veterans we don’t think that we’re going to lose a game,” she said. “I don’t know whether to cry, feel sorry for myself . . . Watching films will help me, and hopefully it will help the rest of the team have a different attitude.”

Tennessee was outrebounded, 38-27, but shot 50% from the field.

The big difference came at the free-throw line, where Purdue was 22 for 33 and Tennessee was only three for eight.

Purdue, playing before 11,788 fans--the third largest crowd for a women’s game in school history--was called for 15 personal fouls. Tennessee was whistled for 25, and Coach Pat Summit also picked up a technical.

In the opening game at Mackey Arena, No. 10 North Carolina defeated No. 11 Kansas, 76-58, as Juana Brown scored 27 points for the Tar Heels.

Nebraska 72, No. 21 Arizona 48--Nicole Kubik scored 23 points and the Cornhuskers (2-0) used a smothering defense to shut down the Wildcats (1-1) in the championship game of the Cablevision Classic at Lincoln, Neb.

OTHER GAMES

Monick Foote and Tiffany Bower, two of Virginia’s best playmakers who missed last year because of injuries, each made key three-point shots down the stretch to lead No. 8 Virginia past West Virginia, 85-72, in a season opener at Morgantown, W.Va. . . . Nicole Carruth scored 16 points to lead No. 9 Alabama (2-0) to a 72-40 victory over Georgia Southern at Tuscaloosa, Ala. . . . Tasha Pointer scored 14 points and had nine assists as No. 12 Rutgers beat Toledo, 71-57, in a women’s preseason NIT quarterfinal at Piscataway, N.J. . . . Angie Braziel led No. 14 Texas Tech with 22 points and five rebounds as the Lady Raiders beat Texas Arlington, 71-47, at Lubbock, Texas. . . . Mery Andrade scored 14 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots as No. 15 Old Dominion beat Marshall, 68-36, in an opener at Norfolk, Va.