Familiar refrain
Lady Tigers use defense, rebounding to top Auburn
The LSU Lady Tigers on Sunday again worked their way into a familiar groove.
They played vise-like defense against Auburn. They turned the ball over — a lot — but the aforementioned defense didn’t allow the opposition to take advantage. And sophomore guard Jeanne Kenney got banged up, leaving her at least questionable for LSU’s next game.
And, oh, yes, the Lady Tigers won. Again. This time, by a score of 57-41, despite committing two dozen turnovers that Auburn recycled into just nine points.
“The thing I have harped on this group about is that we’re going to win with defense and our rebounding,” said LSU coach Nikki Caldwell, whose Lady Tigers out-rebounded Auburn 35-23.
“The game may be ugly, but as long as you’re collecting those wins at this time of the season, it’s good to focus on that.”
When it comes to winning, LSU is playing a beautiful game these days.
The Lady Tigers improved to 19-8 overall with their fifth straight victory, equaling their win total from last season with two regular-season games to go and coming close to cementing a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
LSU also moved to 9-5 in Southeastern Conference play. With Georgia losing 61-57 Sunday at Florida, the Lady Tigers find themselves in a four-way tie for third in the SEC with Georgia, Arkansas and South Carolina.
Vanderbilt, which plays at SEC co-leader Kentucky on Monday, visits LSU at 8 p.m. Thursday in the Lady Tigers’ regular-season home finale.
Since losing 82-71 at Vandy on Jan. 29, LSU’s defense has slowly wrapped itself around its opponents like a boa constrictor, gradually squeezing the life out of them.
Sunday’s victory marked the sixth straight game in which LSU held its opponent to fewer points than the game before. It was the fourth straight time the Lady Tigers have given up less than 50 points (the 16th time this season) and the third straight game in which the opposition shot less than 31 percent from the field.
“It was a bad day for us and a good day for LSU,” said Auburn coach Nell Fortner, whose Tigers made just 17 of 55 shots (30.9 percent) for the game. “They shot well, and we couldn’t find any baskets. We didn’t play well, but I credit LSU’s defense. That’s a big zone to have to try to get inside of.
“When you get in it, you have to shoot over somebody that’s 6-4 or 6-5, and that makes it hard.”
The teams traded baskets to start the first half before LSU went on a 9-0 run to take an 18-9 lead when Courtney Jones caught a pass in midair from Bianca Lutley and banked it home.
Still Auburn (11-16, 3-11) hung in there, down 33-26 at the half.
Auburn’s defense then held LSU without a field goal for the first six minutes of the second half, trailing only 35-29 before Lutley drove the left baseline for a score.
That sparked an 11-2 run that saw LSU go up 46-31 with 6:26 to play on a baseline jumper by Adrienne Webb.
By that point it was plain that Auburn — which started the second half just 2-of-19 from the field and ended up the period just 6-of-27 overall (22.2 percent) — wasn’t going to be able to crack LSU’s defense enough times to get back in it.
“We want to play our best basketball toward the end,” said senior forward LaSondra Barrett, who recorded her sixth double-double this season with 13 points and 11 rebounds. “We’re having fun. Going into the (NCAA) tournament, I’d rather have early losses than late losses.
“We’ve learned lessons throughout the entire season. We know how to battle and come back, we have momentum, and we’re riding the wave from here on out.”
A ripple on the water this last month has been Kenney’s health.
After suffering a concussion Jan. 19 at Tennessee and hyperextending her left knee Thursday at Arkansas, Kenney went down with 1:33 left to play when she was inadvertently slapped in the head by Auburn guard Najad Ouardad.
“We’re taking every necessary precaution,” Caldwell said. “We’re going to make sure she’s OK and have her checked out by our medical people.
“(We) will be very positive about her outlook, but we’re always going to put the health of the student-athlete first.”
Kenney was not requested for interviews but did take part in a team autograph session on the PMAC concourse after the game.
Notes
Among those in attendance Sunday were Mayor-President Kip Holden and LSU cheerleading coach Chico Garcia, who watched what is believed to be his first LSU basketball game in person from a wheelchair on floor level near the Auburn bench. Garcia suffered paralyzing injuries in a boating accident last August. … LSU is 5-0 when hosting a Pink Game. LSU has recorded 16 straight seasons of .500 or better in SEC. … Sunday’s attendance of 6,763 was LSU’s largest at home since the Lady Tigers had 6,889 for their Feb. 1, 2009, game against Auburn. … Barrett started her 107th game as a Lady Tiger, tied for eighth with former All-American center Sylvia Fowles.