When LSU needed a spark against unranked Auburn on Thursday night in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, two freshmen stepped up to propel the home team to a 71-60 victory.
LSU (15-4, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) opened the contest shooting 4-of-18 from the floor, but a pair of seniors and a freshman teamed up to give the Lady Tigers life.
With No. 15 LSU struggling from the field early, coach Nikki Caldwell decided to turn to Japan native Rina Hill, who proved to be a catalyst on both sides of the ball.
The freshman entered the game and contributed six points, two rebounds and one steal before halftime, helping to pull the home squad within one point.
“[Hill] did a nice job of knocking down shots for us at critical times, and she was very solid on the defensive end,” Caldwell said. “Whenever you can go to your bench, you like to see them produce, and she did just that tonight.”
Caldwell had to make an adjustment at the half, as Auburn (11-8, 2-4 SEC) entered the locker room with a 36-35 lead.

Freshman guard Raigyne Moncrief came out red-hot in the second half, pushing LSU to an eventual nine-point lead with roughly 10 minutes remaining in the contest. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native shot 6-of-11 from the field, finishing with 15 points.
Senior forwards Shanece McKinney and Theresa Plaisance provided leadership from both the field and the free throw line, combining to shoot 5-of-11 on field goals and 7-of-8 from the line in the first half. Plaisance finished the game with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while McKinney finished with 11 points and five rebounds.
Plaisance also made noise in the history books. With 15:48 remaining in the second half, she recorded her 500th career rebound, making her the 18th player in Lady Tiger history to have 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds.
“I never thought I’d be able to get this moment,” Plaisance said. “My first year was nonexistent. I made it through, and luckily I had great teammates who got me the ball and had the trust and confidence in me to score the ball.”

The Lady Tigers will travel to Tad Smith Coliseum on Sunday to battle Ole Miss (10-10, 1-5 SEC).
Rebel senior point guard Valencia McFarland has spent the most time on the floor for her squad this season, hitting 41.5 percent of her shots from the field and 33.3 percent from 3-point range.
“[Ole Miss is] very capable,” Caldwell said. “We’ve got to understand that and respect it and stick to our game plan.”
Contact Lawrence Barreca at [email protected].
Twitter: @LawBarreca_TDR

Gallery • 11 Photos

Richard Redmann

LSU freshman guard Rina Hill attempts a shot Thursday, Jan. 23, 2013 during the Lady Tigers' 71-60 victory against Auburn in the PMAC.