The night when they realized that dreams sometimes do indeed come true.

The night they saw Duke reach into its pocket, pull out its little stone and slew the mighty giant of women's basketball, the Tennessee Lady Volunteers.

Tennessee's three-year championship run came to a screeching halt Monday night in the NCAA East Regional Final, courtesy of an upstart Blue Devils team that made the once-invincible Volunteers appear just plain ordinary in a 69-63 triumph.

As the final seconds ticked away and the tears began to flow on the stunned faces of Tennessee's players, opponents across the nation could not share in their agony. Instead, they sat back and breathed a loud sigh of relief as the Vols' dynasty finally met its maker.

Few teams have ever dominated women's college basketball the way Tennessee has the last three years. With legendary coach Pat Summitt leading the way, the Vols established an empire even the Romans would envy, winning three straight national championships and compiling a mind-boggling 99-14 mark over that span.

Tennessee captured the first of its consecutive titles in 1996 after defeating Georgia 83-65 in the finals. At that point, it was hard to comprehend what the Vols had just started. Sure, they had seized another crown, but no one expected them to repeat the accomplishment the following year.

After losing 10 regular-season games, it appeared the experts were right. Like a dogged soldier, though, Tennessee refused to give up and shocked the world by winning its second straight championship.

The people did not seem to object to this new Tennessee monarchy. After all, the Vols served as role models by overcoming such long odds in '97.

The good times, though, would not last. During the 1997-98 season, Tennessee angered its subjects by eliminating its people-friendly policies and replacing them with an iron-fist regime. The Vols proved unstoppable en route to a 39-0 record and third straight title. More frightening than the record, though, was the way they embarrassed every sacrificial lamb thrown their way, winning games by an average score of 89-59.

The subjects had seen enough. A large uproar went up as the peasants and nobles united and tried to devise a plan that would finally help them overthrow the Tennessee empire.

Heading into this NCAA Tournament, however, it appeared as if those plans would go up in smoke as the Vols, who blitzed their way to a 28-2 regular season mark, annihilated their first three victims by an average of 34 points. The only team standing in their way of another trip to The Final Four was Duke, a team Tennessee had pounded 74-60 back on Dec. 5.

The subjects hung their heads and realized little could be done to prevent another year of Tennessee dominance.

Duke had other ideas.

The Blue Devils stood up to the bully from the first tip and built an 11-point halftime lead much to the delight of the suddenly raucous fans. Although the thought of destroying the Tennessee regime was intoxicating, the subjects kept things in perspective. After all, the painful memory of North Carolina blowing a 12-point second-half deficit in this same round last year remained fresh in their minds.

This time, however, Duke would not let the people down. For the first time in four years, Tennessee was the team being outplayed and out-muscled. For the first time in four years, the Vols ran out of answers and could do nothing to stop their opponent from showing them the door.

At 11:20 p.m., the empire officially came crumbling down as time ran out on Tennessee.

Across the nation, people of all ages joined hands and rejoiced uttering the words they had longed to say for so long.

"The Queen is dead."