Monday Brought An Unfortunate First for Pat Summit

Pat Summit had a new first on Monday. Summit, who earlier this season became the first coach in NCAA men’s or women’s history to record 1,000 career victories, I’m sure would be glad to do without this first.

This first is the result of something the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history doesn’t do very often which is lose.

Summit and the fifth seeded Tennessee Lady Vols were defeated in their match up versus twelfth seeded and nationally unranked Ball State in the first round of the Berkeley Region in Bowling Green, Ky.

The loss is certainly the biggest upset of the Women’s NCAA tournament’s first day and perhaps the whole 2009 women’s tournament, if not the biggest in Tennessee Women’s basketball history.

What makes the loss so stunning, aside from the 16 point deficit, is the fact that it was the first time in Summit’s career, and thus, in school history (because the school’s women basketball history begins and ends with Coach Summit) that the Lady Vols have bowed out so early in the tournament.

The Lady Vols came into the season as the two time reigning national champs. The program has also won 8 national championships overall and 14 SEC crowns to go along with 13 SEC tournament titles.

Unfortunately, the 2009 edition of the Lady Vols was marred by youth and inconsistency as they lost all five of last years starters including last years WNBA No. 1 overall picks Candice Parker.

In the victory, Danielle Gratton gave Ball State it’s first-ever lead in an NCAA game when she hit fading jumper to make the score 16-14 with a little less than 11 minutes on the clock. Ball State next plays the fourth seeded Iowa St. Lady Hawkeye’s on Tuesday.