With losses to Louisville and N.C. State early in the season, questions arose whether the LSU women’s basketball team could hang with elite teams, especially on the road.
Thursday night, those questions were answered.
Sophomore guard Danielle Ballard scored a career-high 25 points, and head coach Nikki Caldwell got her first victory over her alma mater, as LSU (11-2, 1-0) avoided a furious comeback and defeated the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, 80-77, Thursday at Thompson-Boiling Arena.
LSU trailed 44-40 at halftime, but opened the second half on a 7-0 run taking the lead and never looking back. The Lady Tigers lead culminated when Tennessee guard Meighan Simmons and head coach Holly Warlick picked up technical fouls, leading to Simmons departure from the game.
After the free throws from the technical were made, LSU led by 16 with under 4:37 left in the game.
That’s when the comeback began.
The Lady Volunteers instituted a full-court press, and LSU struggled to get the ball out across halfcourt, leading to an 18-3 run Tennessee run, which brought the Lady Vols within one point.
After two free throws from freshman guard Raigyne Moncrief, Tennessee got a chance to send the game to overtime, having the ball down three with 8.9 seconds left in the game. But Lady Volunteer guard Andraya Carter’s three point attempt was no good, which secured the victory for the Lady Tigers.
Along with the 25 points, Ballard also chipped in eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. It was a big accomplishment for Ballard, who missed multiple games earlier in the season due to violations in team rules.
LSU had three other players in double figures, two of which had 15 or more. Senior forward Theresa Plaisance provided scoring down low, putting up 15 points on the night. While junior guard Dashawn Harden made four three pointers and chipped in 17.
Tennessee was led by junior forward Isabelle Harrison, who scored 26 points, including a 12-16 performance from the free throw line. Harrison scored 11 of the Tennessee’s final 18 points during its comeback attempt.
Simmons, the SEC’s Preseason Player of the Year, was held scoreless in the second half after scoring 15 points in the first.
LSU’s 80 points scored were the most against Tennessee in 12 years and the fourth most for the Lady Tigers all season. The Lady Tigers’ offense was propelled by an up-tempo style, and a 50 percent shooting mark from 3-point territory.
The Lady Tigers will play their final non-conference game against Tulane on Sunday at Devlin Fieldhouse. Tip-off is set at 2 p.m.