In the three games leading into the Southeastern Conference tournament, LSU sophomore guard Danielle Ballard scored a combined 12 points against Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama.
If the past three weeks have proven anything, including the Lady Tigers’ 98-78 victory against Georgia Tech in the first round of the NCAA tournament, it’s that she was saving her offensive outburst for when it mattered most.
Ballard’s final line against the Yellow Jackets told a story of its own — 24 points, shooting 7-of-17 from the field and 10-of-12 from the free throw line, a career-high 17 rebounds, four assists and two steals.
The Memphis, Tenn., native stormed out of the gate in the PMAC Sunday, scoring 19 points and recording nine rebounds before halftime.
She had more points than seniors Shanece McKinney, Jeanne Kenney and Theresa Plaisance combined in the first half.
“Ballard just played like a woman possessed,” said LSU coach Nikki Caldwell. “She played like somebody who said, ‘I can’t be denied.’ When you have your point guard playing with that mentality, it filters throughout our team. She did set the tone for us that we can be aggressive against their pressure, their press and their buzz defense.”
The sophomore was a constant threat under the rim, leaping for rebound attempts and making her presence felt for the 35 minutes she was on the court.
Though Ballard only stands at 5-foot-9, she proved why height isn’t the only factor when getting the ball back under the glass.
McKinney and Plaisance said they didn’t mind being out-rebounded by their point guard.
“Danielle just did a great job on boards like she always does,” Plaisance said. “She comes in out of absolutely nowhere and tries to tip in. She’s not scared of big bodies in the paint or contact. Danielle is really fearless when it comes to rebounding.”
Ballard accounted for 30 percent of the Lady Tigers’ rebounds on Sunday — Plaisance was the only other LSU player with double-digit rebounds. Ballard had seven offensive rebounds compared to 10 defensive.
Georgia Tech coach MaChelle Joseph said containing Ballard proved to be more difficult than she anticipated.
“She was really difficult to guard on both ends of the floor today,” Joseph said. “She just did a tremendous job being disruptive. She showed a lot of toughness and poise for a sophomore.”
Since the start of the SEC tournament, Ballard has scored 18, 15 and 24 points against Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia Tech, respectively.
LSU’s point guard has been streaky throughout the 2013-14 season — she scored a total 10 points during a three-game stretch in early February against Mississippi State, Kentucky and Missouri before totaling 43 over the next three games against Texas A&M, South Carolina and Georgia.
It appears as though she’s hitting a hot streak at the perfect time, and LSU will need her to stay scorching when it battles West Virginia on Tuesday in the PMAC.
“If I don’t get stopped, then I’ll just continue laying it up,” Ballard said. “That’s just my game. Just penetrating and getting my players open and giving them open shots. [I am] just being unselfish with the ball.”
“Ballard just played like a woman possessed. She played like somebody who said, ‘I can’t be denied.’ When you have your point guard playing with that mentality, it filters throughout our team. She did set the tone for us that we can be aggressive against their pressure, their press and their buzz defense.”