The LSU women’s basketball team waited patiently Monday in the Lawton Room in Tiger Stadium as the NCAA tournament committee announced who it would play in the Baton Rouge regional.
What the Tigers got was a team with past struggles against the Southeastern Conference and a Big 12 giant potentially waiting in the second round.
The Lady Tigers (19-12, 7-9 SEC) learned Monday night they will play Georgia Tech in the NCAA tournament as a No. 7 seed, with the Yellow Jackets playing as a No. 10 seed. LSU is set to play at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday at the PMAC, and the game will be televised on ESPN2.
“Just seeing our name pop up and being able to be on our home floor is such a blessing,” said senior forward Theresa Plaisance. “I’m excited for where we stand in the tournament and the seven seed is a great seed to be in.”
The Lady Tigers have lost seven of their past eight games, including a 77-65 loss March 7 to Tennessee in the SEC tournament quarterfinals. But a No. 1-ranked strength of schedule helped fortify LSU’s résumé.
LSU coach Nikki Caldwell said the committee recognized the strength of the SEC, referencing the two No. 1 seeds awarded to fellow SEC members South Carolina and Tennessee.
“When you look at the teams that we’ve played and where we’ve played, having for the most part the toughest schedule in the country, that says a lot about this team.” Caldwell said.
Georgia Tech (20-11, 9-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) comes into the tournament winning three of its past four games, with the one loss being an 82-52 defeat to Duke in the ACC tournament quarterfinals. The Yellow Jackets have gone 0-2 against SEC opponents this season, dropping games to Tennessee and Georgia.
Plaisance said Georgia Tech is a great team with superb guard play and weapons down low, and she emphasized how prepared the Lady Tigers must be when taking on the Yellow Jackets.
If LSU defeats Georgia Tech, it will most likely face No. 2 seed West Virginia, which takes on No. 15 seed Albany in the first round at 2 p.m. on Sunday in the PMAC. The Mountaineers won a share of the Big 12 title after going 16-2 in conference. The No. 2 seed is their highest ranking in school history.
Caldwell said to change the tides of this season in the tournament, the most important battle will come internally.
“At the end of the day, I’ve always told our kids our biggest opponent will not be the team that comes here,” Caldwell said. “It will be ourselves.”

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Lauren Duhon

LSU women's basketball head coach Nikki Caldwell speaks to the crowd Monday, March 17, 2014 in the Lawton Room before the NCAA Tournament announcement.