KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tasha Butts finally is making the most of her senior year.
From hitting an unbelievable shot to force overtime against Auburn to scoring 37 points in a win over Vanderbilt, the 5-foot-11 Tennessee guard has started specializing in clutch scoring.
Earlier this month in the Southeastern Conference tournament quarterfinals, the Lady Vols had a two-point lead against Mississippi State late in the game when Butts came through again.
As the shot clock neared zero, Butts drove into the lane and made a basket while being fouled. She hit the free throw and put the Lady Vols ahead 56-51 with 4:35 remaining.
A few minutes later, she hit another key shot and then made two free throws with 35 seconds left to seal Tennessee's 67-57 win.
"By the time you're a senior it's like your time is running out. You don't have time to think. You just need to play,'' Butts said. "That's what I've been trying to do.''
Her play could make the difference in the NCAA Tournament for the No. 5 Lady Vols, who may have lost a chance at a No. 1 seed after falling to Georgia in the semifinals of the SEC tournament.
Though they won their seventh-straight SEC regular-season title after going 14-0 in league play, the Lady Vols have not won a national championship since their threepeat from 1996-98.
The Mississippi State game showed how important Butts has become on the court. She is the Lady Vols' main ball handler in the absence of point guard Loree Moore, who tore a knee ligament in January and is out for the season.
"Tasha Butts finally showed up late in the game and helped us win,'' coach Pat Summitt said after the contest. "Glad to have you in the end, Tasha.''
Butts came to Tennessee after being named a Parade All-American in 2000. Her aunt, Valerie Freeman, played at Tennessee from 1983-85, but her career was cut short with an injury.
Butts didn't always want to follow her aunt because that is what people expected. She changed her mind after meeting the coaches and watching the Lady Vols play.
Freeman warned her niece about the tough work ethic at Tennessee and Summitt's high expectations.
"She was like, 'Are you willing to work?' I said, 'Yes,' '' Butts recalled. "She told me, 'You're not only going to be a better player but a better person when you leave.' She told the truth.''
Since Moore was injured Jan. 24, Butts has averaged 13.9 points in 12 games.
She averaged 5.1 points a game in her first three seasons combined. Butts played in every game as a freshman and started in 17 games the next season. Last year, she started in 33 of 38 games, and has started in every game this season except four games immediately after Christmas.
"I think the way I'm playing right now is the way coach Summitt has always envisioned me playing,'' Butts said. "Freshman year she wanted me to fast-forward my progress and I don't think I did it fast enough.''
Butts had a career-high 37 points at Vanderbilt, hitting all six 3-pointers she attempted in a 94-88 win.
Against Auburn on Feb. 1, Butts hauled in a rebound and hit the tying shot as she was falling out of bounds with 2.7 seconds left in regulation. The Lady Vols went on to win 68-61 in overtime.
Butts dreamed of being the go-to player in games. Now that she is, she has discovered it's not easy.
"It's so much harder than I ever imagined,'' she said.
