LSU senior guard DaShawn Harden rebounded an errant shot off the backboard and raced down the court Sunday during the Lady Tigers’ exhibition contest against Mississippi College.
Once she crossed halfcourt, Harden picked up her dribble and passed the ball to freshman guard Jenna Deemer at the top of the key. The 5-foot-7-inch Deemer then took one dribble before zipping a left-handed pass to fellow freshman forward Stephanie Amichia, who was wide open underneath the goal for an easy layup.
The entire sequence lasted eight seconds, and the catalysts behind the well-executed fast break were all members of LSU coach Nikki Caldwell’s new-look bench.
“Coach Nikki tells us all the time, ‘Be ready,’” Amichia said. “Those are the two words I always remember. If I’m starting or not starting, you better be ready when you get your name called.”
The Lady Tigers’ bench shouldered the scoring load during the team’s two exhibition games this preseason, giving Caldwell a variety of options to choose from as her squad prepares for the start of the 2014-15 season.
LSU’s bench scored 103 of the team’s 189 total points in both games, including 55 on 18-of-23 shooting against Mississippi College on Sunday.
Leading the charge off the bench was Deemer, who’s already made a name for herself before the Lady Tigers have played a meaningful game.
The former three-star recruit out of New Orleans — who averaged 27 points per game as a senior for Ursuline Academy — shot a combined 12-of-15 from the floor and averaged a team-leading 20 points per contest during the preseason games. She also drilled seven of her 10 attempts from 3-point range.
Caldwell said Deemer’s feel for the game combined with her 3-point prowess off the bench will play a key role in the Lady Tigers’ offense this season.
“[Deemer’s] a vital piece of the puzzle when you’re running any kind of offensive action,” Caldwell said. “She brings a level of confidence because she can come in, and we could run play action to her. She knows we’re running this action, and she will nail that first shot.”
But Deemer wasn’t the Lady Tigers’ only sub to provide scoring relief in the preseason, especially in LSU’s final exhibition contest Sunday.
Against Mississippi College, four of the Lady Tigers’ five substitutes scored double figures, and Deemer, Amichia and Harden all finished with game highs of 14 points.
Caldwell said her bench’s scoring ability will make it tough for opposing teams to make plans against the Lady Tigers this season.
“With our bench, because they get the same number of reps in practice, no lineup is set,” Caldwell said. “Everybody knows they have an opportunity, so they’re going to come in and produce and compete because they want to play. If they continue to do this, when [teams] are scouting us, you’re going to have to scout 10 or 11 players as opposed to six or seven.”
But LSU sophomore guard Jasmine Rhodes, who added 13 points in 15 minutes off the bench Sunday, said the Lady Tigers are far from a finished product heading into the regular season, which starts against Arkansas-Little Rock at 11:30 a.m. Friday in the PMAC.
“It’s a process, [and] we’re still working at it,” Rhodes said. “Each day in practice we’re going over the plays and defenses. It’s getting better.”