GREENVILLE, S.C. - Pat Summitt will have plenty of time to think about her spot on college basketball's career victories list after the season. For now, she's just concerned about bringing another title to Tennessee.

Summitt moved within a game of Dean Smith's all-time mark of 879 victories when the fifth-ranked Lady Vols (26-4) beat No. 1 LSU on Sunday for their first Southeastern Conference tournament crown in five years.

"Nothing has broken the spirit of this team. I've worked them hard and they've bought into it. That's more important to me right now than numbers," Summitt said. "I'm glad to get up on the ladder and do something other than wash windows. I got to cut down the nets."

Senior Shyra Ely, the tournament MVP, said Summitt never brings up any of her accomplishments to the team.

"She's so down to earth, that's what's so great about her," Ely said. "She has that quiet confidence and I love it. We probably pay more attention to it than she does."

Still, the players know how special it'll be to get Summitt to 880, more than likely in the upcoming NCAA tournament.

"It'll be really important and I think we can do it," Ely said.

The Lady Vols had been in LSU's shadow this season since Feb. 10, when the Lady Tigers had their way inside in the 68-58 defeat. While Summitt never focused on payback, the loss galvanized her team - which has won its last eight games since.

"Our philosophy is to take that and learn from it," Summitt said. "We went back to work and became a better basketball team because of that loss. That's when I saw a team that understood we can not do this individually."

Those lessons were evident late in this one.

Trailing 65-61 with 1:28 left, Tennessee rallied with Shanna Zolman's 3-pointer and Ely's fastbreak layup to move in front 66-65.

LSU (29-2) had the play it wanted the next time down, but a wide-open Sylvia Fowles couldn't handle Temeka Johnson's pass beneath the basket. Alexis Hornbuckle collected the loose ball for Tennessee and made a foul shot for the final points.

"I guess I can say I wasn't quite ready," Fowles said softly.

Scholanda Hoston had a straightaway 3-point try at the end that hit hard off the rim and bounced away, ending LSU's 16-game winning streak - and possibly their hopes for landing the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

Ely, who led Tennessee with 25 points, grabbed the ball after the horn sounded and flung it high into the stands as her teammates jumped high in celebration.

"It's been a long time since Tennessee has done this, not just here, at any tournament," Zolman said.

LSU players sat quietly on the bench as the tournament trophies were given out. Tye'sha Fluker and Zolman paraded an SEC logo around the court in triumph.

"I feel like we let something go that should've been ours," Johnson said.

Seimone Augustus had 23 points to lead LSU, while Johnson had 13 points and 12 assists.

The loss by LSU finished a bad Sunday for No. 1 teams. On the men's side, top-ranked Illinois lost its perfect season with a 65-64 defeat at Ohio State.

For so long, Tennessee dominated the Lady Tigers, winning 29 of 34 games between 1977 and 2002. But over the past few seasons, the LSU-Tennessee game has grown into the SEC's most anticipated matchup.

So it was no surprise when neither team could get very far ahead of the other for most of this one. There were 16 ties.

LSU's biggest lead came at the half, 37-31, and Tennessee quickly erased that in the first 5 minutes of the second half to retake the lead, 42-41.

The Lady Vols never got up by more than 51-47, a lead that also didn't last long.

Augustus said the Lady Tigers will use the break between tournaments to regroup.

"It's a learning experience that no one wants to experience," she said. "Of course we'll bounce back."