LSU sophomore forward Taylor Turnbow had a tall task in her sixth career start for the Lady Tigers against Middle Tennessee State — stopping All-American senior forward Alysha Clark.”The game plan was for Turnbow to guard Clark as best she could,” said LSU coach Van Chancellor. “I said, ‘If we can hold her to 30, we will win.’ Taylor said, ‘She will never get 30 on me.'”Turnbow achieved her goal and even one-upped Clark, outscoring the Blue Raider phenom, 17-16. Turnbow has turned the heads of the LSU coaches this season and has established herself as a weapon in the post for the No. 7 Lady Tigers.”It was a coming out party for Turnbow,” Chancellor said of the Middle Tennessee game. “It was great to see her have the kind of game she had.”Turnbow saw limited time with the slew of young talent on the Lady Tigers’ roster last season. The 6-foot-2-inch forward was a role player as one of six freshmen on Chancellor’s team during the 2008-09 season.Turnbow has been one of the many pleasant surprises on the team through four games. She is second on the team in both points and rebounds, averaging 11.3 points and six boards per game.The forward has established herself as a force on the 4-0 Lady Tigers, who are off to their best start since 2006-07. She is shooting 67 percent from the field — third in the Southeastern Conference. Her emergence began in the offseason, where she grew from a backup freshman to a sophomore starter.”I worked on a lot of things during the offseason, especially my inside game and defense,” Turnbow said. “I wanted to come out and be a better player for the team.”Chancellor said the biggest difference for Turnbow this season has been her confidence.Turnbow now has greater expectations as a starter for the 2009-10 season.”I told her, ‘You’ve created a problem, Turnbow,'” Chancellor said. “‘I expect more out of you now.'”The Cincinnati native said she wants to keep up the momentum and optimism from her hot start.”Personally, I’m trying to maintain a positive attitude and stay consistent for the team,” Turnbow said. “I really want to be consistent every night.”Turnbow was crucial in LSU’s first four games, and her playing time will only increase as the competition stiffens entering SEC play.”She has a great future,” Chancellor said. “The next growth step is to see how she faces adversity. She’ll handle it well.”Turnbow was paired with sophomore forward Courtney Jones under the basket. Jones said they make a good one-two punch in the Lady Tigers’ frontcourt.”She has more confidence in her abilities this season,” Jones said. “It’s great playing with her.”Turnbow said the sophomore duo is a successful combination.”We have such great chemistry on the court,” Turnbow said. “We are on the same page. It’s really comfortable.”Turnbow has a knack blocking shots. She blocked at least one shot in seven straight games last season and had seven blocks against Xavier on Nov. 16, 2008.”I don’t go out of my way to block shots,” Turnbow said. “But if it’s here, I’m going to take it.”Some of those blocking instincts may have come from her volleyball career at Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Ga., where she played three seasons of volleyball.”I miss high school volleyball, but I couldn’t play in college,” Turnbow said. “I just like to watch.”Turnbow said she came to LSU to get away from home but is still close with her mom.”My mom comes to a lot of away games,” Turnbow said. “She is outgoing and has a lot of enthusiasm. She’s always really loud in the stands.”Turnbow said she shares her mom’s energy when the team is practicing defense. But Turnbow’s sense of humor shines in the locker room.”I usually have a sarcastic, goofy sense of humor,” Turnbow said. “I can be serious. It’s usually a mixture of both.”The sophomore said she is more concerned with how she is remembered as a person than her records and trophies. “I want my legacy to be that I was a good person,” Turnbow said. “I want to be an inspiration to my teammates.”—-Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]