Led by three freshman guards, the Lady Tigers basketball team started off its season in fine fashion with a blowout 95-24 exhibition win against Tennessee Temple University.
LSU struggled with scoring through the first five minutes, but started to pull away from Tennessee Temple after a steal and layup by freshman guard Raigyne Moncrief.
Moncrief and her fellow freshmen guards Rina Hill and Jasmine Rhodes led the charge for the Lady Tigers. Hill tied for the lead in assists with three, Moncrief led the team in points and steals and Rhodes tied for the lead in free-throw attempts.
“Rai [Moncrief] started the attack by getting her hands on a lot of balls and getting out in transition,” said LSU coach Nikki Caldwell. “It led to us controlling the tempo of the entire game.”
Moncrief’s length and athleticism proved to be a problem for the Crusaders all night, as she finished with nine steals and 24 points.
Hill had several impressive passes in the contest, but a midair touch pass to a cutting sophomore center Derreyal Youngblood was the best example of her passing ability. She finished the night with seven points and three assists in 24 minutes of action.
“[Hill] is one of those players who just has great court vision,” Caldwell said. “She’s looking to push the tempo every single time, and if you aren’t running with her, you’re going to get left behind.”
By controlling the tempo, Hill was able to lead the Tigers to a 20-0 advantage in fast-break points.
Rhodes was able to get in on the action as well.
Caldwell described Rhodes at LSU Media Day as someone who made strides during preseason, came off the bench and was second on the team in scoring. She showed the ability to attack the rim and get to the foul line, picking up seven foul shots in 24 minutes.
“[Rhodes] is a very aggressive player,” Caldwell said. “She knew when to attack and when to hit that pull-up jumper.”
In all, Lady Tiger freshmen accounted for 44 of the team’s 95 points.
“These three freshmen are going to make a name for themselves,” Caldwell said. “But more importantly, they are going to make a name for LSU.”
Several veteran Lady Tigers proved that the season won’t just be about the newcomers, though.
Both Youngblood and senior Shanece McKinney dominated the Crusaders in the paint, leading to a 61-30 advantage in rebounds and a 68-4 advantage in points in the paint. The Lady Tigers also sported a 25-4 advantage in second-chance points.
“I felt that there was times in the game where we played the score,” Caldwell said. “One of our problems last year was not playing the whole 40 minutes, so one of the things I’m going to challenge our players to do this week is play all the way through the game.”

Gallery • 12 Photos

Richard Redmann

LSU sophomore guard Danielle Ballard (32) shoots for a field goal Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013 during the Lady Tiger's 95-24 victory agianst Tennessee Temple in the PMAC.