Three Final Four appearances, two Southeastern Conference Championships and a one-handed slam dunk are some of the accolades the seniors on the LSU women’s basketball team have accomplished during the past four seasons. And now, the winningest senior class in Lady Tiger history will play its final home game Thursday when No. 6 LSU (23-4, 12-0) hosts Arkansas (17-10, 2-10) at 7 p.m. in the PMAC. “It’s sad,” said senior guard RaShonta LeBlanc. “There is going to be a lot of emotion coming in. But we’re going to come to play. We just have to enjoy our time with each other while we still have it.” LeBlanc aggravated an ankle injury Monday in the second half of LSU’s game against No. 1 Connecticut. But the Port Arthur, Texas native said she will start her final home game as a Lady Tiger. “I got it checked, and it’s going to be fine,” LeBlanc said. “It will not keep me from playing.” LSU senior guard Quianna Chaney was also injured against UConn, battling cramps throughout the second half. Like LeBlanc, Chaney said her final game in the PMAC will be sentimental. “I am going to miss our fans the most,” Chaney said. “All of the things like ‘Pack the PMAC’ are amazing. When we play big teams like Connecticut on [Monday], it’s amazing. Everyone was jumping in excitement.” The Lady Tigers have eight seniors on this year’s roster. As a group the team has won 87 percent of its games in the past four seasons, including a 49-5 conference record. LeBlanc said the team’s biggest accomplishment has been its SEC play. LSU is one win away from its third regular season SEC title in four seasons. “Our [conference] record is very special, because like our coaches tell us, the SEC is one of the most difficult conferences to win in,” LeBlanc said. “Us being able to go 14-0 – if we can – is something that we will enjoy.” LSU handed Arkansas its first loss of the season Jan. 10, defeating the Lady Backs, 76-54. LSU sophomore guard Allison Hightower, Chaney and senior center Sylvia Fowles combined for 48 points in the win. Arkansas center Lauren Ervin went down for the season in the game, tearing her right anterior cruciate ligament late in the second half. The Lady Backs were 15-0 with 6-foot-3-inch Ervin in the lineup. But Arkansas has struggled without her, losing nine of its past 11 games. LeBlanc said the Lady Tigers need to avoid a letdown like the team faced in its second meeting against Kentucky after a 72-46 win in the first meeting. “It’s always more difficult to play an opponent the second time because they know what you do and we know what they do,” LeBlanc said. “It becomes about who plays the hardest and who plays the strongest for their team.” UConn snapped LSU’s 14-game-winning streak Monday, marking the first time since December the Lady Tigers lost. Fowles recorded her 74th career double-double in the loss, scoring a season-high 26 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. With one more double-double, Fowles will break the SEC career record she shares with former Georgia post player Janet Harris. LSU women’s basketball coach Van Chancellor said despite playing a physical game Monday, the Lady Tigers look forward to getting the team’s fourth loss off its mind. “We are going to be ready for Arkansas on Thursday, I promise that,” Chancellor said. “We are not going to let an opportunity to win the conference slip past us without a fight.”
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