Rabalais: Smart, tough Lady Vols

• By SCOTT RABALAIS
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Mar 10, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Curses. Foiled again.

And again.

And again.

And yet again.

They’re playing a very old song in Music City.

Sweet as a Faith Hill melody to the ears of Tennessee.

An evil tune to the ears of the LSU Lady Tigers, whose seniors went into the Nashville night Sunday 0-4 in the SEC tournament final after a 61-55 loss to their arch nemesis.

LSU won the SEC regular-season title, its third in four years, captured with a perfect record. LSU earned it by going into Knoxville and coming back from 19 points down in the first half to beat the then No. 1-ranked Lady Volunteers at their (Pat) Summitt, 78-62. It will rank as one of the greatest wins in LSU women’s basketball history.

It was the first time LSU beat Tennessee twice in a row, counting the Lady Tigers’ victory over the Lady Vols in last year’s SEC tourney semifinal.

Once again, Tennessee’s will got in LSU’s way.

“Both,” senior center Sylvia Fowles said when asked which title she’d rather have, the SEC regular season or the tournament. “For the most part I’m glad we won the regular season.”

The exquisitely difficult marathon that the Lady Tigers won to claim the SEC regular-season crown is an impressive achievement. To win it going 14-0, almost doubly so.