PHILADELPHIA -- For one six-minute stretch, Tennessee solved Rutgers' mystifying zone defense. That turned out to be just long enough.

Tennessee went ahead to stay with a key second-half surge after being frustrated most of the game and beat Rutgers 64-54 Friday night, giving the Lady Vols a chance to win their seventh national championship.

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National player of the year Tamika Catchings picked it up after scoring just two points in the first half and freshman Kara Lawson hit two big shots to lead Tennessee (33-3) into Sunday night's title game.

The Lady Vols, also getting some key points down the stretch from Semeka Randall, will take a 20-game winning streak against Connecticut.

"It was great defense," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said. "We saw it on film and we played them the last two seasons. We had a tough time finding open shots."

It was 36-36 in a slow-paced game -- just what Rutgers (26-8) wanted -- when Tennessee started finding creases in the Scarlet Knights' feisty matchup zone.

First it was Lawson driving into the heart of the defense and flipping in a finger roll to break the tie with 13:57 left. Then Kristen Clement fired a no-look pass across the court to Michelle Snow for a layup.

After Davalyn Cunningham scored for Rutgers, Catchings swished a line-drive 3-pointer and Lawson came through again, nailing a jumper from the baseline for a 45-38 lead with 9:38 to play.

"I'm just a competitive player," said Lawson, whose move from the wing to point guard coincided with the start of Tennessee's winning streak. "It helps that I'm surrounded by All-American players like Tamika and Semeka. They take the pressure off me."

A slick baseline drive by Catchings and an 18-footer by the 6-foot-5 Snow completed a 13-3 run that made it 49-39 with 7:55 remaining. From there, it was just a matter of holding off the Scarlet Knights, and the Lady Vols got it done. Lawson hit six straight free throws to keep them in control and even blocked the last shot of the game.

Lawson led Tennessee with 19 points, Catchings finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Snow had 10 points.

"I'm proud of my team," Summitt said. "We didn't lose our patience."

Shawnetta Stewart, Linda Miles and Tasha Pointer led Rutgers with 11 points each. The Scarlet Knights, who struggled on offense much of the season, got 13 more shots than Tennessee but hit just 37 percent (23-for-62).

Rutgers closed to 49-45 when Miles sank two free throws with 6:40 to play, but Tennessee scored the next seven points, including four free throws by Lawson, to regain control quickly.

The Scarlet Knights twice got to within six after that, the last time at 58-52 when Miles scored on a drive with 1:07 to play. Randall then finished it off for Tennessee, converting a three-point play off a drive and sinking three final free throws.

Kara Lawson led all scorers with 19 points, which included six consecutive free throws down the stretch.(AP)

Tennessee finished 22-of-29 at the line. Rutgers was 6-for-10.

"We really wanted to push tempo in the second half," Lawson said.

Rutgers prevented Tennessee from doing that in the first half. The Scarlet Knights kept Tennessee pinned in a halfcourt game with their defense and excruciatingly patient offense.

Tennessee twice turned the ball over on shot clock violations. It was able to get it inside only once in the first 10 minutes and that did not result in a basket.

Clement, Tennessee's only Philadelphia native, gave the Lady Vols a lift early with her outside shooting. With "The New Me!!" printed on the tape wrapping her right ankle, Clement hit two 3-pointers and a jump shot over the Rutgers zone as Tennessee took a 10-5 lead.

But the Lady Vols bogged down when she went to the bench with her second foul at the 13:22 mark. After Clement's second 3 with 14:01 remaining, Tennessee managed only three baskets in the next 12:40.

Still, Tennessee led 16-13 after Snow connected on a turnaround shot with 6:50 to play. But the Lady Vols came up empty on their next five possessions, and reserve Usha Gilmore hit two baskets in an 8-0 run that gave Rutgers a 24-17 lead.

Tennessee looked out of sync at that point, and the Scarlet Knights, an emotional bunch that celebrated almost every good play, seemed on the verge of taking control.

But Tennessee regained its composure and pulled ahead 25-24 when Lawson hit a 3-pointer off a nice inbounds play with 1:20 to go. Kourtney Walton's 3 returned the lead to Rutgers before Catchings' layup with 39 seconds left -- her first points of the game -- and Randall's free throw left Tennessee ahead 28-26.

It was a physical game with plenty of bumping and aggressive defense and each team had a player helped off the floor.

Tennessee's April McDivitt was carried to the bench after being knocked down near midcourt at the 13:09 mark. She was crying in pain as she held her left knee, but trainers iced the area just above the knee and she returned later in the half.

Rutgers' Linda Miles left with 2:13 remaining in the half when she banged her left hip diving to try to strip the ball from Randall. She was able to start the second half.

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