The gritty, physical play synonymous with the Lady Tigers was most evident in one crucial second-half possession in LSU’s 62-51 win against Vanderbilt.
Up by just five points with 6:22 remaining, senior forward Ashley Thomas grabbed four of five consecutive offensive rebounds and sank two free throws to give LSU a much-needed momentum surge.
“I thought that was the difference in the game,” said LSU coach Van Chancellor. “Ashley Thomas is the unsung hero of our basketball team. She does more little things that just don’t show up on the stat sheet.”
Senior center Sylvia Fowles led LSU with 11 rebounds while Thomas grabbed eight – six coming on the offensive glass.
Chancellor said the Lady Tigers had the opportunity to put the game away in the first half when LSU led Vanderbilt 18-2 at the 10:03 mark. But LSU scored just one field goal for the rest of the half and went into the locker room with a 21-10 advantage.
“That’s the most frustrating part about coaching this team,” Chancellor said. “You just don’t know when those stretches are going to come.”
Vanderbilt coach Melanie Balcomb said she was encouraged by her team’s ability to bounce back with 41 second-half points after scoring just 10 in the first half.
“I think we broke a school record,” Balcomb said. “I’ve never coached a team that had 10 points at halftime. It was frustrating, but we know LSU has one of the best defensive teams in the country.”
Thomas said LSU must take advantage of such large leads when playing quality conference opponents.
“It was frustrating because of the way we came out,” Thomas said. “We had a chance to bury them, and in the SEC you have to take those opportunities.”
Senior guard Erica White said she was disappointed with the Lady Tigers’ 18 total turnovers – 13 of which came in the first half.
“I just want to sharpen my focus and just lock in,” White said. “The four turnovers I had, I could have avoided. They weren’t necessarily forced. It was just me throwing the ball away.”
—-Contact Amy Brittain at [email protected]