Giving thanks for Pat

Lady Techster fans can be thankful that Tennessee coach Pat Summitt called off the Vols in the second half of Tuesday night's 71-50 victory over their team.

Maybe the classiest person coaching any sport, Summitt could have won the game by 40 and really embarrassed the Techsters had she chosen to do so. But after getting 19 turnovers from her first-half press, she pulled back after the break. She also admitted that she held All-Everything Candace Parker to just seven second half minutes due to the lopsided score. That allowed the Techsters to look better in the second half and make the score somewhat respectable.

Some folks wonder why Summitt continues to play the Techsters, since the games haven't been competitive for several years. Her Vols play 13 currently ranked teams, including Duke, North Carolina, UConn, Georgia, LSU and Arizona State, so playing the Techsters gives her team a little break in the schedule.

Summitt also considers the Tech-Tennessee matchup one of historical significance in women's basketball --- and she has lot of respect for former Techsters boss Leon Barmore. How much longer that keeps her coming to Ruston remains to be seen.