PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Coach Pat Summitt has been in all sorts of crazy games in her Hall of Fame career. She couldn’t remember one quite like this.
Her Lady Volunteers, led by Shekinna Stricklen’s 16 points and 11 rebounds Saturday, pulled off the biggest comeback in school history by rallying from a 20-point halftime deficit to stun Rutgers 55-51.
“Never in my 35 years of coaching have I seen a game like that,” said Summitt, who earned the 994th win of her career. “This one stands out as one of the most special.”
The only game that came close to this was when the Lady Vols (11-2) rallied from a 17-point, second-half deficit to stun Virginia during the 1996 NCAA Tournament.
Trailing 33-13 at the half Saturday, Summitt ripped into her inexperienced team.
The Lady Vols, who had never trailed by 20 points at halftime before, responded with the first 11 points of the second half.
“We came in and regrouped at halftime,” said Tennessee’s Angie Bjorklund. “It doesn’t matter how much we’re down, we look at it that it’s a zero-zero game.”
