There were 7.9 seconds on the clock. Again, an LSU guard — this time sophomore Katherine Graham — was at the free throw line.She made both free throws to give the Lady Tigers the lead.But this matchup, the Lady Vols couldn’t make a play — or get off a shot — like they did in the 2008 Final Four, sealing a 63-61 win for LSU on Thursday in the PMAC.”I knew it was a one-and-one, so I knew I needed to make the first one,” Graham said. “I just was given an opportunity to help my team win with those free throws.” The Lady Tigers (16-9, 9-4) jumped out to a 15-point halftime lead, but Tennessee (19-9, 8-5) stormed out of the locker room and went on a 9-0 run in the first two minutes of the half to cut the lead to 35-29. Tennessee freshman Kelley Cain took advantage of LSU senior forward Kristen Morris picking up her third foul 11 seconds into the second half and scored the first six points of the half for the Lady Vols.Tennessee sophomore guard Angie Bjorklund and forward Shekinna Stricklen helped the Lady Vols continue their second-half surge and scored a combined 23 points in the first 12 minutes of the second half to tie the game at 51.Bjorklund scored 21 points for the game, including 3-of-5 from behind the arc. LSU was without junior guard Allison Hightower for most of the second half as the Arlington, Texas native battled cramps throughout the half.The Lady Tigers also lost freshman LaSondra Barrett for a three-minute span late in the half to a wrist injury. But without their two leading scorers, LSU stayed afloat and took a 59-54 lead with 3:51 to play thanks to Graham’s offense.Graham scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half to help keep LSU’s depleted offense afloat.”We lost our best player with 12:09 to go, and we find a way to win,” said LSU coach Van Chancellor. “And we beat a really good team and a really good coach.”The Lady Tigers’ defense stifled the Lady Vols early and limited them to just 1-of-8 shooting and six turnovers from the field in the first five minutes of the game to take an 8-2 lead.LSU combined its swarming defense with efficient offense to stretch the lead to 12 with 12:38 to play in the opening half.Tennessee cut the lead to 21-14 with five minutes in the half, but LSU fired back with a 14-6 run to head into halftime with a 35-20 lead.LSU junior guard Andrea Kelly found the gaps in Tennessee’s zone defense and hit consecutive 3-pointers to help the run.The Lady Tigers limited the Lady Vols to just seven field goals in the first half while forcing 15 turnovers. Coming into the game, Tennessee averaged just 17 turnovers per game.LSU took advantage of Tennessee’s turnovers and outscored the Lady Vols, 17-2, in points off turnovers in the first half. “Turnovers hurt us,” said Tennessee coach Pat Summitt. “If you just look at the box for us and the box for them, they were just better.” Thursday’s game marked the eighth time in the last 10 meetings between LSU and Tennessee that the game was decided by 10 points or less.Summitt said LSU’s win will not be the last time the two teams clash.”It seems like everytime we play them and they play us, there’s always a prize,” she said. “And tonight they won the prize.”Chancellor said with a five-game winning streak, the Lady Tigers are playing the way he’d hoped they’d play all season.”We’ve been trying to get them to buy into toughness,” he said. “And find a way to win. Just find a way to win. And we did it tonight.”—-Contact Casey Cisclair at [email protected]