No. 1 Vols withstand two late chances by Kentucky for 63-60 win --

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A week that began with a No. 1 ranking was far from smooth for Tennessee.

Chris Lofton scored 14 points, including a jump shot with 1:15 left, and the Vols beat Kentucky 63-60 yesterday to stay atop the Southeastern Conference.

Tennessee lost to No. 18 Vanderbilt on Tuesday, three days after beating then-No. 1 Memphis to take over the top spot in the poll for the first time in school history.

The Vols squandered a big early lead in this one, then hung on to avoid consecutive losses for the first time this season.

Derrick Jasper hit a 3-pointer to cut the Vols' lead to 63-60, but Jasper and Joe Crawford both missed 3-point shots in the final 20 seconds that would have sent the game to overtime.

No. 23 Vanderbilt beats Alabama 83-54 --

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Meredith Marsh and Ashlee Bridge each scored 16 points yesterday to lead No. 23 Vanderbilt to a 83-54 win over Alabama.

A total of 12 players scored for the Commodores, who honored the team's lone senior, Liz Sherwood.

Sherwood, who transferred to Vanderbilt from Connecticut, finished with seven points and grabbed four rebounds in her final game at Memorial Gym.

Bridge's 16 points were a career high and Jessica Mooney added 11 off the bench for Vanderbilt.

Middle Tennessee dismisses player Josh Sain --

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) -- Middle Tennessee has dismissed freshman guard Josh Sain.

Sain, the 2007 Class AA state tournament MVP from Jackson Liberty Tech, did not suit up for the Blue Raiders' regular-season finale Saturday.

Sain was suspended three times for five total games this season and had not played in the last nine games. He averaged 6.7 points and 2.5 rebounds in 15 games.

Athletic officials didn't give a reason for the dismissal. But in January, Sain was suspended a game for violating athletic department policy.

Coach Kermit Davis says the department has done "everything humanly possible to support Josh to be successful on and off the floor."

Tennessee retires Ernie Grunfeld's No. 22 --

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee's "Ernie and Bernie Show" was immortalized yesterday with the retirement of All-American Ernie Grunfeld's No. 22.

Tennessee displayed Grunfeld's number on a new banner hanging from the rafters of Thompson-Boling Arena and honored him with a video tribute during top-ranked Tennessee's 63-60 win over rival Kentucky.

Grunfeld played alongside fellow All-American Bernard King, whose No. 53 was retired last year before the Vols' home game against Kentucky.

Grunfeld, a four-time All-SEC and two-time All-America selection, played for Tennessee from 1974-77. His 2,249 career points are the second most in school history.

A native of Romania and son of two Holocaust survivors, Grunfeld helped lead the national team to a gold medal in the 1976 Olympics after gaining his U.S. citizenship.