LSU women beginning key stretch run
The LSU women’s basketball season has hit a critical stretch, and there’s no one associated with the Lady Tigers — up to and probably including Nikki Caldwell’s English bulldog puppy, Summitt — who would say otherwise.
After losing four straight Southeastern Conference games and four of five overall (four of those five games were also on the road), LSU returns to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Thursday to begin a pivotal three-game home stand against Florida at 6 p.m.
The Gators (13-8, 3-5 SEC) sent LSU (14-7, 4-4) spinning off into this downward spiral.
The Lady Tigers trailed by 14 points with 6:36 to play, stormed back with 12 straight points to make it a game but fell just short in a 62-58 decision in Gainesville.
Since then, LSU has fought hard but lost at Tennessee (65-56), losing guards Destini Hughes and Jeanne Kenney in the process; got hammered at home 72-52 by Arkansas; eked out a 71-68 nonconference overtime win at struggling East Tennessee State and lost the handle on their defense Sunday in an 81-72 defeat at Vanderbilt.
The message from Caldwell and her coaching staff over the intervening practices and team meetings has been for her players to rededicate themselves to defense, hustle and toughness while not losing faith in each other.
“The thing we have to really focus on with this group is to make sure they understand we’re not giving up on them and they don’t need to give up on each other,” Caldwell said Wednesday. “We’ve got to stay the course and know we’ve hit some bumps in the road, but our path is still very bright. Through hard work and buying in and us playing together as a unit, we can get this job accomplished.”
Rebounding to beat Florida looks even more imperative with No. 6-ranked and SEC-leading Kentucky (20-2, 9-0) coming to the PMAC for a 2 p.m. game Super Bowl Sunday. The Lady Tigers wrap up their three-game home set next Thursday against Mississippi State (also 13-8, 3-5).
“Every game’s a must-win,” Kenney said. “Especially at home.”
“Definitely, it’s a must-win,” said senior forward LaSondra Barrett, LSU’s leading scorer and rebounder with 12.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. “It’s a chance to redeem ourselves from losing at Florida and to start on another winning streak.
“Practices have been going well. I think we know what we need to do. The seriousness is in place. Our mindset has to be there, but it has been there for us.”
A bright light piercing LSU’s recent gloom has been Kenney’s return after suffering a concussion Jan. 19 in the opening minutes of the Tennessee game.
Kenney still bears the shadow of a black left eye, but after missing two games, she started and played 19 minutes at Vandy.
She finally practiced full speed this week and will likely again fill Hughes’ role — and several others — as LSU’s starting point guard.
“It helps us with another guard on the floor,” Caldwell said of Kenney. “It helps us with another player who can extend the defense. It helps us on offense, because she’s one of our best passers. It helps us in leadership, because she’s one of our most vocal leaders.”
Kenney rolls her battered eyes when she thinks of LSU’s close losses: in overtime at Tulane, by one to Northwestern and the loss at Florida.
“All the games we’ve lost, minus one or two, we’ve beaten ourselves,” Kenney said. “Coach Nikki and the whole coaching staff has put an emphasis on the fact that we can’t keep beating ourselves.”
“We understand what our record is,” Caldwell said. “We understand that this game will either boost our team morale and our confidence and get us back on the right path or sink us another notch.
“I truly believe this team is ready to out there and lay everything on the line for 40 minutes. That’s all I can ever ask of them.”
The game, which can be heard locally on WBRP-FM (107.3) will be a homecoming of sorts for Florida senior guard Deana Allen of Houma. The former Ellender standout averages 7.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Junior Jennifer George, a 6-foot forward, leads Florida with 13.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.