AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Abi Ramsey scored 13 of her 22 points in the second half to help Vanderbilt rally to beat No. 14 Auburn 68-60 Sunday. Carla Thomas scored 16 points and Hillary Hager added 12 as the Commodores (18-7, 6-6 Southeastern Conference) overcame an early 10-point deficit. Natasha Brackett scored 19 points to…

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — A defensive switch made all the difference for No. 3 Tennessee. Shyra Ely and Shanna Zolman each scored 21 points and led a decisive second-half run that gave No. 3 Tennessee an 85-69 victory over Mississippi on Sunday. The Lady Vols (23-2, 12-0 SEC), unbeaten on the road (12-0), trailed for…

By JENNA FRYER / AP Sports Writer ROCKINGHAM, N.C. (AP) — Was that really Matt Kenseth driving his way into Victory Lane for the first time in almost a year? Sure was. And he did it with a thrilling finish at North Carolina Speedway that ranked as the fourth-closest in NASCAR history. Edging rookie Kasey…

MURFREESBORO — Pitching and defense have always been the staple of teams under head coach Steve Peterson during his 16-plus seasons as Middle Tennessee head coach. His Blue Raiders showed again those two aspects could be the best part of the 2004 club, as junior Steve Kline took a perfect game into the sixth and…

By DEB RIECHMANN / Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush is plunging into the political fray with a new stump speech that previews themes of his re-election campaign. “There will be a very clear choice and it will be a choice between keeping tax relief that is helping move the economy forward versus…

By SAM HANANEL / Associated Press Writer NADER WASHINGTON (AP) — For months, Democrats, longtime friends and former supporters of Ralph Nader have urged him not to make another run for president. Now that the consumer advocate has formally declared his candidacy as an independent, many Democrats fear a repeat of the 2000 race, when…

MEMPHIS (AP) — A measure to amend the state Constitution to allow casino gambling in Shelby County may have gained some powerful lobbyist support, but lawmakers say the resolution still faces an uphill battle to pass this year. The resolution, the first step for a statewide referendum in 2006, will be pushed in Nashville by…

NASHVILLE (AP) — Cecilia Johnson knew she wanted a career in the theater, but wasn’t sure how to make her dream a reality. It took a four weeks of intense study at the Governor’s School for the Arts in 1998 to help her decide where to go to college, what she wanted to study and…

CHATTANOOGA (AP) — As the Tennessee Valley Authority prepares this week to begin another round of staff cuts, employee groups are urging the utility to look first at cutting contract workers before trimming its employment rolls. “A lot of contractors are taking jobs that should be permanent positions at TVA,” Calvin Underwood, president of the…