Following their 73-57 loss to South Carolina on Sunday, seniors Jeanne Kenney and Theresa Plaisance entered the postgame press conference dazed.
Their emotions ranged from angry to depressed, but one thing was for certain: they didn’t want to feel that way again.
“We can’t get any lower than we are at this point for us. We’re LSU. We can’t get any lower,” Kenney said. “It’s a matter of asking ourselves, ‘When is it enough?’ Because I’m tired of losing.”
The Lady Tigers remained competitive for most of the game, leading late in the first half and keeping the game within three points well into the second half. But large runs by the Gamecocks kept LSU from ever getting its big break.
Coach Nikki Caldwell said the Lady Tigers have a problem when their flow is disrupted and suggested changing things in practice after the game.
“I talked with my staff about us just leaving the game,” Caldwell said. “We’ve been watching a lot of film on ourselves, and this time we said, ‘We’re just going to move on and focus on what we need to do to be successful in Athens.’”
The No. 19 Lady Tigers (18-7, 7-5 Southeastern Conference) will attempt to redeem themselves and break their losing ways when they play Georgia (17-8, 5-7 SEC) tonight in Athens, Ga.
LSU’s loss Sunday put the team in a tie for fourth with Florida and Kentucky in the ever-competitive SEC. The conference is one of only two conferences with five teams ranked in the top 20, and only three games separate third and seventh place.
Plaisance said the talent level around the conference has become significantly better as her career has progressed.
“My freshman year, you could really see the gap between the bottom of the SEC and the top of the SEC, but that gap has really gotten smaller,” Plaisance said. “This year, I feel like anybody can go out and win. It’s anybody’s game for whoever competes the hardest.”
Georgia contains a well- balanced offense with four players averaging more than 10 points per game and three players with five rebounds or more per game. Sophomore guard Shacobia Barbee stands out from the crowd, leading the team in points, rebounds and assists in a win against Florida on Sunday.
The Lady Bulldogs also contain a stout record at Stegeman Coliseum, going 13-2 for the season. Kenney and Plaisance have gone 0-2 in the state of Georgia in the previous three years, and they are familiar with the environment the Lady Bulldogs can bring.
Plaisance said now would be a good time to finally win in the peach state, but it’s going to require patience and an ability to get stops.
After tonight, the Lady Tigers will have a game against Arkansas on Sunday before a showdown with SEC powerhouse Tennessee next week. Looking forward, Caldwell said despite recent struggles, her team has the talent to go far in the tournament.
“We’ve got players that took this team to a Sweet 16, and they’re still capable of doing great things,” Caldwell said. “We’re in a much better position than we have been in my past two years here. We’re in the driver’s seat and don’t have to play catch up.”

Gallery • 12 Photos

Taylor Balkom

LSU freshman guard Raigyne Moncrief (11) drives to the basket Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014 in the first half of a game against South Carolina in the PMAC. The Tigers trail the Gamecocks 24-32 at half.