There’s something about playing Missouri that inspires LSU senior guard Jeanne Kenney, and she continued her momentum from her previous contest in Columbia, Mo., to help give LSU a 75-58 win Thursday in the PMAC.
Slow starts had plagued LSU (18-5, 7-3 Southeastern Conference) during SEC play, but Kenney was sure to reverse the trend.
In the squad’s Jan. 16 contest against Missouri (14-9, 3-7 SEC), Kenney scored 30 points and knocked down six 3-pointers en route to an LSU 87-68 victory. The 13 total LSU 3-pointers were the most in program history.
Kenney was on fire late in the first half, knocking down a long jumper and two 3-pointers to close out her 11-point first half.
Senior forward Theresa Plaisance provided early presence under the basket, scoring 11 points and four rebounds before halftime. Sophomore guard Danielle Ballard added eight points and four rebounds of her own.
Overall, LSU shot 44 percent from both the field and 3-point range in the first half of regulation.
When both teams went into the locker room for halftime, LSU led Missouri 38-31.
The senior duo would continue its run in the second half. Plaisance dominated in the paint, finishing with 20 points and nine rebounds.
“When you have an inside-out game, you’re golden, and I thought we weren’t one-dimensional this game,” Kenney said. “We had inside play, and we also had outside play. That’s a real compliment to [Plaisance and Ballard].”
But it was Kenney who was the ring leader Thursday night, as Missouri had no answer for the Baton Rouge native on both sides of the ball.
Whether it was swatting opposing passes, taking jumpers or motivating her teammates, Kenney flew around the court causing havoc for Missouri for the second time this season.
With 15:33 remaining in the second half, LSU started a 14-0 run that spanned five minutes.
Kenney finished 5-of-9 from the floor and 3-of-6 from 3-point range — totaling 19 points, four rebounds and three assists.
“The other day we had a team meeting, and the first thing [Kenney] said was, ‘I have to be more consistent,’” said LSU coach Nikki Caldwell. “I thought that was very mature of her to come into our team meeting and be accountable. Tonight she played that way, and she played like a senior who was not going to allow her team to lose.”
LSU will get a chance at redemption against Texas A&M (17-6, 7-2 SEC) on Sunday when it travels to College Station, Texas.
The Aggies rolled into the PMAC on Jan. 9 and downed LSU in a contest where LSU shot only 26 percent from the field.
Caldwell is hoping for a different result against the Aggies.
“The [last] game was in our reach, and we need to be a 40-minute team,” Caldwell said. “I can’t express that enough to our group that we cannot take possessions off. A&M is playing some good basketball, and they’re very good at home. It’s going to be a battle of the team that wants it the most.”
“I thought that was very mature of [Jeanne Kenney] to come into our team meeting and be accountable. Tonight she played that way, and she played like a senior who was not going to allow her team to lose.”