Click here to view a photo slide show of the Tigers’ victory.
The Lady Tigers basketball team inched another step closer to securing an undefeated conference record Sunday as they easily dispatched Ole Miss, 78-48, in front of a raucous crowd at the PMAC.
LSU improved to 11-0 in conference play and extended their current winning streak to 13 games.
Led by senior center Sylvia Fowles’ 22 points and 14 rebounds, the Lady Tigers had their way with the Lady Rebels all afternoon.
LSU jumped out to early lead and quickly built it into a 20-point advantage after junior guard Quianna Chaney connected on a three-point shot with 7:34 remaining in the first half.
It was Fowles though that set the tone early in the game for the Lady Tigers. The All-American scored 19 points in the first half, sinking jump shots and layups with relative ease.
“We did a nice job of getting [Fowles] the ball in the first half,” said LSU coach Van Chancellor. “She was really dominant.”
Ole Miss made a run of their own and pulled to within 10 points after putting together a 6-0 spurt just before halftime.
LSU responded quickly with five unanswered points and entered halftime with a 15-point advantage.
“I thought Ole Miss was pretty pesky today,” Chancellor said. “They just kept fighting and coming back.”
LSU remained in sync in the second half and eventually stretched the lead to 30 points.
Fowles said it was important for the team to stay focused coming off an emotional win Thursday against Tennessee.
“I didn’t want to have any letdowns,” Fowles said after the game. “We had a shaky practice coming back, so I just came out and made sure I was on point to make sure we did what we had to do.”
Chancellor said he was impressed with the focus and leadership of Fowles and senior guard Erica White.
“[Fowles] and [White] are wanting an SEC championship,” he said. “Everybody wants an SEC championship, but those two are playing unbelievably focused.”
LSU’s large lead gave Chancellor the opportunity to play all 12 players on the roster.
Reserve junior guard Marian Whitfield made the most of her seven minutes of playing time, connecting on all three of her shots.
“Any time you win by 30 and are able to play everybody, it’s good,” Chancellor said.
Ole Miss coach Renee Ladner said she knew it would be tough to defend LSU’s ability to score from anywhere on the floor.
“I expected LSU to be dominating in the paint as well as being very effective on the perimeter,” she said. “LSU is right now in championship form.”
The Lady Tigers have three conference games remaining before the SEC tournament. Their next test will come at home Thursday night against the Kentucky Wildcats.
—-Contact James Rees at [email protected]