Tennessee's first women's basketball exhibition played out like a dress rehearsal. The second will be more of an audition.

A 135-55 demolition of Carson-Newman College Thursday night made it clear that Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt has a few more player options this season. A game against Love & Basketball at 3 today at Thompson-Boling Arena will help sort out her choices.

Tennessee's final preseason opponent is comprised primarily of former collegiate players who reside in Southern California.

Love & Basketball, which lost at Vanderbilt 83-74 Friday night, has beaten Cal State Northridge (81-72) and Long Beach State (65-64) on its tour, while losing to Southern Cal (79-63), UCLA (86-80) and Washington (77-73).

The game should be much more competitive than Thursday's rout, during which six Lady Vols scored in double figures, seven grabbed five-or-more rebounds and virtually everyone made a case for playing time.

"I think what the challenge is going to be in some situations is the rotation,'' Summitt said after Thursday's game. "It's very difficult to rotate 12 players and keep the continuity that you want."

In the next breath, she turned this challenge on the players by saying, "A lot depends on what they're willing to bring."

For the time being, Summitt doesn't have a full roster from which to choose. Sophomore Vicki Baugh is sitting out a second game today as discipline for missing a summer school class. Furthermore, she's still recovering from offseason knee surgery.

Fellow sophomore Angie Bjorklund will miss today's game because of lower back spasms.

Medical issues always are a threat to meddle in personnel matters. Point guard Cait McMahan sat out Saturday's practice and will rest her surgically repaired right knee today as part of her ongoing vigilance.

But all of these players figure to be available at some point. And a six-player freshman class is clamoring for action, as evidenced by a combined 103 points and 46 rebounds versus Carson-Newman.

"You have more than one athletic, mobile, lengthy player out there,'' said C-N coach Dean Walsh, comparing these Lady Vols with last season's squad.

More players is a big reason why practices have been more demanding. Summitt made a point during Friday's workout to repeat more emphatically the players' stake in this process.

"I told them there's no guarantees I'm going to play 12 people,'' she said. "It's hard to play 12 people. So let's figure out what you're to show me between now and when we really start to narrow down our lineup and decide how deep we're going to go."

Judging by Friday's practice, more attention to defense is advisable. Carson-Newman's 55 points matched its exhibition high against UT in 2005 and was 25 points better than last season.

"It's just us trusting each other on defense,'' center Kelley Cain said. "We need to communicate a lot more and trust your teammate is going to have your back."

Any Lady Vol making free throws will distinguish herself as well after the team's 25 for 49 shooting against Carson-Newman.

Freshman Glory Johnson, who shot 11 for 20 from the line Thursday night, still scored 33 points. She scored a few more Friday by showing up early to shoot extra free throws.

On Saturday, several players stayed after to shoot. Cain and freshman guard Briana Bass were shooting free throws nearly a half-hour after the formal workout had concluded.

"It all goes back to investing the time and getting comfortable and confident in your free throw delivery,'' Summitt said. "They have to go in and get their routine down and gain confidence through repetition."

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.