The Lady Volunteers (1-1) were a unanimous pick as No. 1 in this season's preseason poll.
The Lady Volunteers were outrebounded, 38-27, and lost despite shooting 50 percent from the field.
But the Lady Volunteers beat Auburn by 66-51 and have won 15 of their last 16 games.
The Lady Volunteers (31-2) took a 22-21 lead with 7:27 left in the first half and stretched it to 33 points.
Sheila Frost came off the bench to score 13 points, igniting the Lady Volunteers.
Still, the Lady Volunteers have the deepest, most talented team in the country.
The Lady Volunteers (16-1) led by 41-28 at halftime, then went on a 10-2 run early in the second half to expand their lead to 54-36.
Still, the Lady Volunteers managed a tenuous advantage, 22-21, one that they improbably reclaimed in the final eight minutes.
The Lady Volunteers had never lost in the first two rounds of the tournament, going 42-0 through the years.
With the creation of women's athletics later in the 20th century, female athletic teams became known as the Lady Volunteers.