We tried a little twist to play off the 64 greatest all-time women's teams in the Value Add Basketball Game: the designated better seeds have to play on the road. We remembered UNC and Kentucky agreeing to play all road games in the NIT one year. That shift means our first game changed from the 34-point spread we posted to a 31-point spread due to the favorite needing to play on the road, but it was much closer than that.
In fact our all-time champions from Tennessee 1998 got quite a scare against Auburn 2009, a team that went 30-4 and defeated Tennessee 82-68 during that season.. An early home job call - which occurs when the home team changes a roll of 36 to 66 or vice versa - gave an early 2nd foul to Tamika Catchings, who we ranked as the greatest college women's basketball player of all time in this top 40.
Auburn hung right with the legendary 39-0 Tennessee team through the first half. The Tigers actually took a 26-25 lead before Tennessee recovered to lead just 30-28 at halftime.
Then the all-time champs finally took over.
For this game, we're trying something different with the play-by-play. Rather than just giving the final score and highlights, we're listing every dice roll except the 1-20 free-throw rolls, along with what happened on each possession. The running score is on the left, with Tennessee listed first and Auburn second.
That lets you see not only what happened, but exactly how the Value Add Basketball game produced it.
When the line starts with TN, that means Tennessee is rolling, and if AU, then Auburn is rolling.
The first number is the 8-sided die to see which player gets the ball. The second number is the two 6-sided dice roll of 11-66 to see if the defender steals, blocks a shot or fouls, or if the offensive player turns it over, or there is a team defensive breakdown for a layup or alternatively a stop. The third number is the 20-sided die, which is only used if nothing happens on the 11-66, to see if the player shoots or gets to the line.
Tennessee 1998 vs. Auburn 2009
Tennessee 1998: 39-0, the first of three straight national championship teams in our all-time tournament format.
Auburn 2009: 30-4, ranked No. 8 nationally after a season that included an 82-68 victory over Tennessee to start 20-0.
Players entering the game (in Value Add the game starts 20-20 with all players having scored 2 points and 7 minutes left in the first half and in most cases reserves finishing out their last minutes before the starters finish the majority of the game).
Tennessee: Laurie Milligan (2.0 PPG, 0.4 RPG, 1.3 APG); Brynae Laxton (1.2, 1.9, 0.2); Niya Butts (1.8, 1.1, 0.3); LaShonda Stephens (4.0, 3.4, 0.2); Teresa Geter (6.3, 4.8, 0.8).
Auburn: Whitney Boddie (11.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 7.9 APG); Morgan Jennings (2.4, 1.6, 1.1); Reneisha Hobbs (2.7, 1.7, 0.5); Parrisha Simmons (1.0, 2.7, 0.6); KeKe Carrier (4.7, 3.1, 0.4).
If you want to scroll down to see the traditional box score and final, it appears at the bottom of the blog.
Play-by-Play
By each player we show which team they are on and then their position (1 = pg, 2 = sg etc) and if that 1 to 5 number is listed twice it means they were the backup player at that position.
Score TN-AU| Team| 8-side| 6-sides| 20-side| Player| Result
—| AU| 5| 35| 16| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Again, almost any center would have fouled
—| —| —| 4| 6| Sherell Hobbs (AU-3)| Rebound
—| —| 4| 33| 14| Trevesha Jackson (AU-4)| Missed shot
—| —| —| —| —| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Rebound
—| TN| 6| 42| 5| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Foul
—| AU| 2| 43| 9| Kellie Harper (TN-2)| Turnover
41-33| AU| —| —| —| Alli Smalley (AU-2)| Makes 1 of 2 free throws
43-33| TN| 5| 52| 20| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| 52 falls in her layup range
—| AU| 2| 43| 19| Alli Smalley (AU-2)| Missed shot
—| —| —| 4| 1| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Rebound
43-35| AU| 4| 42| 7| Trevesha Jackson (AU-4)| Most players turn it over on 42, but Jackson has no turnovers on her card, so the 7 produces the shot
45-35| TN| 8| 52| 16| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Layup range again
—| AU| 3| 31| 6| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Great steal
—| TN| 1| 24| 20| Kristen Clement (TN-1)| Missed shot
—| —| —| 6| 3| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Rebound
—| AU| 8| 41| 12| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Foul
—| TN| 7| 63| 17| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Missed shot
—| —| —| —| —| Trevesha Jackson (AU-4)| Rebound
45-37| AU| 8| 14| 8| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Basket
—| TN| 5| 42| 7| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Foul
—| AU| 5| 16| 2| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Unheard-of steal range of 1-6 for a center
48-37| TN| 6| 34| 3| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| 3-pointer
—| AU| 3| 36| 15| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Third foul on Catchings — danger
48-38| AU| —| —| —| Sherell Hobbs (AU-3)| Makes only the second of two free throws
50-38| TN| 8| 23| 2| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Basket
—| AU| 5| 22| 7| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Block — would otherwise have been a bucket
—| —| —| 4| 7| Trevesha Jackson (AU-4)| Offensive rebound — Jackson's excellent 1-7 range
—| —| 4| 32| 6| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Great steal saves a bucket
—| —| —| 6| 6| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Rebound
53-38| TN| 6| 26| 2| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| 3-pointer
—| AU| 4| 23| 12| Semeka Randall Lay (TN-4)| Blocked shot
—| —| —| —| —| Kellie Harper (TN-2)| Rebound
—| TN| 7| 55| 9| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Turnover
55-38| TN| —| —| —| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Makes both free throws
At that point, the scare was over. Tennessee had turned a 32-32 tie into a 55-38 lead, a 23-6 run that showed why this team is currently ranked 1st all-time in our game.
Closing Minutes
Score TN-AU| Team| 8-side| 6-sides| 20-side| Player| Result
—| AU| 5| 42| 13| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Foul
—| TN| 6| 44| 16| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Missed shot
—| —| —| —| —| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Rebound
—| AU| 5| 44| 17| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Missed shot
—| —| —| —| —| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Rebound
—| TN| 6| 64| 14| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Missed shot
—| —| —| 5| 9| Kristen Clement (TN-1)| Rebound
—| —| 4| 46| 14| Semeka Randall Lay (TN-4)| Missed shot
—| —| —| 2| 9| Whitney Boddie (AU-1)| Rebound
—| AU| 8| 42| 14| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Foul
—| TN| 5| 42| 14| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Foul
—| AU| 2| 22| 5| Kellie Harper (TN-2)| Blocked shot
—| —| —| 2| 16| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Rebound
—| TN| 2| 62| 13| Alli Smalley (AU-2)| Fourth foul
56-38| TN| —| —| —| Kellie Harper (TN-2)| Makes 1 of 2; 80% shooter has 1-16 FT range
—| AU| 6| 41| 17| Alli Smalley (AU-2)| Foul
58-38| TN| 1| 32| 8| Kristen Clement (TN-1)| Basket
58-40| AU| 1| 14| 6| Whitney Boddie (AU-1)| Basket
60-40| TN| 6| 53| 7| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Basket
—| AU| 8| 51| 7| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Missed shot
—| —| —| —| —| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Rebound
—| TN| 4| 55| 20| Semeka Randall Lay (TN-4)| Missed shot
—| —| —| —| —| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Rebound
—| AU| 5| 52| 5| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Missed shot
—| —| —| —| —| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Rebound
—| TN| 7| 32| 13| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Missed shot
—| —| —| 3| 11| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Rebound
60-42| AU| 2| 63| 7| Alli Smalley (AU-2)| Basket
62-42| TN| 1| 56| 7| Kristen Clement (TN-1)| Basket
62-44| AU| 1| 63| 1| Whitney Boddie (AU-1)| Basket
—| TN| 6| 12| 10| Sherell Hobbs (AU-3)| Only second foul on Hobbs
64-44| TN| —| —| —| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Makes both free throws — 85%, 1-17 FT range
—| AU| 2| 44| 9| Kellie Harper (TN-2)| Turnover
64-46| AU| —| —| —| Alli Smalley (AU-2)| Makes both free throws
—| TN| 5| 42| 16| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Foul
—| AU| 6| 7| 32| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Blocked shot
—| —| —| —| —| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Rebound
64-48| AU| 8| 25| 8| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Basket
66-48| TN| 4| 25| 6| Semeka Randall Lay (TN-4)| Basket
66-50| AU| 1| 46| 5| Whitney Boddie (AU-1)| Basket
69-50| TN| 3| 46| 2| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| 3-pointer
69-52| AU| 2| 43| 5| Alli Smalley (AU-2)| Basket
Final: Tennessee 1998 69, Auburn 2009 52
The final margin makes the game look much easier than it was.
Auburn led 28-25, trailed only 30-28 at halftime, and tied the game 32-32 early in the second half. From there, Tennessee's all-time talent took control.
The decisive stretch was a 23-6 Tennessee run, turning that 32-32 tie into a 55-38 advantage.
The experiment of forcing the designated home team onto the road also produced several interesting moments. Kellie Harper had rolls that could have resulted in additional foul calls at home, while Auburn benefited from the home-court adjustment on a key Tamika Catchings defensive roll.
But once Chamique Holdsclaw and Tamika Catchings started dominating both ends, Auburn's upset bid was finished.
For a while, though, the 2009 Tigers gave the 39-0 Tennessee national champions a much bigger scare than anyone would have expected.
And we saved it for the end - but here is the box score.| Pos | Starting Tennessee Vols (69) | Pts | Reb | Blocks | TO | Steal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-PG | Kristen Clement | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 2-SG | Kellie Harper | 5 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| 3-SF | Tamika Catchings | 20 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 4-PF | Semeka Randall Lay | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 5-C | Chamique Holdsclaw | 14 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Pos | Reserves | Pts | Reb | Blocks | TO | Steal |
| 1-PG | Laurie Milligan | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2-SG | Brynae Laxton | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3-SF | Niya Butts | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4-PF | LaShonda Stephens | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5-C | Teresa Geter | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 69 | 36 | 9 | 16 | 9 | |
| Pos | Starting Auburn Tigers (52) | Pts | Reb | Blocks | TO | Steal |
| 1-PG | Whitney Boddie | 8 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 2-SG | Alli Smalley | 11 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| 3-SF | Sherell Hobbs | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 4-PF | Trevesha Jackson | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 5-C | DeWanna Bonner | 14 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| Pos | Reserves | Pts | Reb | Blocks | TO | Steal |
| 1-PG | Morgan Jennings | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2-SG | Reneisha Hobbs | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3-SF | Parrisha Simmons | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4-PF | Chantel Hilliard | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5-C | KeKe Carrier | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 52 | 32 | 2 | 21 | 8 |
