The Middle Tennessee State women’s basketball team had beaten LSU coach Van Chancellor the previous two times the schools met.The Lady Tigers returned the favor Wednesday night in a physical matchup of two top-25 schools.No. 7 LSU (2-0) outmuscled No. 24 Middle Tennessee (1-1) in the PMAC, 61-40, with tough defense and a well-executed game plan.”It was one of the greatest defensive efforts I’ve ever seen,” Chancellor said. “To hold them to 40 points was unbelievable.”LSU senior guard Allison Hightower had an uncharacteristically quiet night, scoring only seven points. Hightower suffered from leg cramps several times during the game and left with about three minutes left to play and did not return.Chancellor said he does not believe Hightower’s injury is serious and said she simply suffered from exhaustion during the game.”We are playing her on the best perimeter. We are asking her to go out on the other end and beat the press,” Chancellor said. “Then we ask her to come down and every little play we run … is run through her. Then we ask her to guard.”Middle Tennessee scored its lowest point total since Jan. 5, 1998, when the Blue Raiders were held to 32 points against Tennessee-Martin.Chancellor said associate head coach Bob Starkey’s defensive plan and sophomore forward Taylor Turnbow’s defense was crucial in the victory.Turnbow faced Middle Tennessee’s top player, senior forward Alysha Clark, and limited her to 16 points.”We knew it was going to be a tough team to block out,” Turnbow said. “I just followed the coaches’ game plan and came into it levelheaded.”Clark led the nation in scoring last season but had trouble getting to the basket against Turnbow.”Turnbow on Clark was outstanding tonight,” Chancellor said. “This was a coming-out party for Taylor Turnbow.”Clark nailed 37 points in the Blue Raiders’ victory against LSU last season. She managed to collect a game-high 20 rebounds against the Lady Tigers on Wednesday night.”When you go against someone like Taylor, she’s relentless on defense,” said LSU junior guard Katherine Graham. “I knew she would take the job and excel at it.”Turnbow had a career-high 17 points and six offensive rebounds to add to her efforts.”[LSU] did something to us no one’s ever done,” said Middle Tennessee coach Rick Insell. “They played sound defense up the line and shut down our shooters on the outside.”Chancellor said the Lady Tigers played Clark differently than they did last season.”Tonight we decided we would give Clark some looks that were different,” Chancellor said. “We were calling different numbers out and letting different people double her and then most of the night not doubling her.”Graham said the game preparations helped the Lady Tigers avenge the losses from the past two seasons.”This year we just wanted to come out and stay focused on what we have been practicing over the past couple of weeks,” Graham said. Graham added nine points and seven rebounds. Sophomore forward LaSondra Barrett contributed 10 points in 25 minutes off the bench. Middle Tennessee senior guard Jackie Pickel guarded Hightower for most of the game and limited her to 2-of-7 shooting from the floor.”I thought our defensive game plan was sound,” Insell said. “I’m really proud of Jackie Pickel.”Hightower and Clark are both members of the ESPN.com All-American Team. Clark is a first-team member, while Hightower is on the second team.Insell said the Lady Tigers are one of the best teams in the nation.”They are one of the top-10 teams in the country,” Insell said. “They’re only going to get better.”The victory gives LSU a 3-2 series advantage against Middle Tennessee State.”I don’t care what the name is on that jersey, this is a big magnificent win for this team,” Chancellor said. “They were as happy as I have seen them.”The Lady Tigers play their first of two home games this weekend starting with Houston on Saturday in the PMAC.—-Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]