There's a new queen in SEC basketball.

All those questions folks had about the Auburn women's basketball team were answered in full after Sunday's 82-68 win against the reloaded two-time defending national champion Lady Vols.

The largest Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum basketball crowd ever (men's or women's) was there to witness it (check out the line below) and give the Tigers a homecourt advantage rarely seen in the women's game.

"For Auburn, it was truly a magical day; from walking out there at the beginning of the game and seeing the arena with that many fans and playing a game of that magnitude," Auburn coach Nell Fortner said. "I know Pat Summitt has played in a lot of big games and the Tennessee program and staff; Auburn’s team has not. I think we played some very good basketball, some very inspired basketball and I am very proud of these kids today."

DeWanna Bonner came out with her very best, scoring a career-high 35 points.

Auburn denied Summitt her 999th career victory, snapping a 16-game losing streak to Tennessee in the process. It was the first time the Tigers beat Tennessee in Auburn since 1991.

"It’s about time those Auburn fans got in the gym to watch their women play basketball,” Summitt said. “This community needs to get behind their team; not just while they are winning, but every time they play. They have a special team."

Some other thoughts from the game ...

• Bonner was spectacular. She had nine rebounds and six steals, nearly all of which she converted into fastbreak points at the other end. She was 14-for-16 from the free throw line. Tennessee was 10-for-13 as a team. It's amazing to see the kind of impact Bonner has on a nightly basis with this team.

• Whitney Boddie made Tennessee look several steps slow on defense. The senior finished with 17 points and nine assists, adding five rebounds and three steals. She had eight turnovers, getting a little careless when Auburn tried to work the clock with a big lead near the end, but when the tempo was at its highest, Boddie ran around and through the Lady Vols' defense with ease.

• Big-shot Alli Smalley scored 16 points, hitting three 3-pointers. One was a prayer from well beyond the line as the shot clock expired during a possession in the first half. She buried it, bringing to life what had been a mostly docile crowd to that point.

• Ugly game for the first 16 minutes or so. Auburn really opened it up at the end of the first half, scoring nine straight points before Tennessee made a halfcourt heave before the buzzer go into the break down 31-26.

• Great moment in the hallway at halftime. Summitt strolled slowly to the locker room, pausing to remark briefly to a security guard about the free throw disparity, which was Auburn 12, Tennessee 0. "What do you have to do to get to the free throw line in this place?" she asked. "We're Tennessee. It's B.S."

• The Tigers really put the game away early in the second half, using a 13-3 run to take a 13-point lead. That lead grew to as many as 24, an unheard of margin against Tennessee.

• I'll say this: the Lady Vols are young, but they are going to be outstanding. This team starts two sophomores and three freshmen. If it's not a factor come NCAA tournament time this season, they're going to be a force next season. Tennessee doesn't rebuild; it just reloads.

• Shekinna Stricklen (26 points) especially. She's going to be great.

• Curious to see what this does for Auburn in the Associated Press poll, which comes out tomorrow. North Carolina, last week's No. 2, will obviously drop after a two-loss week. UConn is the clear-cut No. 1. That leaves No. 3 Oklahoma (14-2), No. 4 Duke (15-1) and No. 5 Baylor (15-1) as teams that could still be ahead of Auburn (20-0). I'm not a voter, but it would be hard for me to keep a team that's undefeated below a bunch of one- or two-loss teams, regardless of reputation.