After a conference loss on the road, the LSU women’s basketball team gained a home victory when they contested against Alabama on Sunday afternoon in the PMAC, 48-41.
“Alabama did a nice job of disrupting uis from an offensive standpoint, coach Nikki Fargas said. “I thought they really scouted us well and was ready to change up their defensive on the ball against our ball screening action, but this group found a way to really dig dip from a defensive end and we were able to come away with a win.”
Alabama outrebounded LSU, nine to seven, in the first quarter but the Lady Tigers were resilient.
LSU (16-7, 5-5 Southeastern conference) dominated the first and forced Alabama to turnover seven times. The Lady Tigers went on a 10-0 run to finish the quarter with a seven-point lead, 17-10.
In the second quarter, LSU forced Alabama to turnover nine more times but the Crimson Tide rallied back and forced the Lady Tigers to turn the ball over seven times.
Throughout the second quarter, LSU struggled to keep its lead and Alabama continued to increase its score until the two teams tied at 24. LSU gained the lead back with a free throw from Jasmine Rhodes to end the first half, 25-24.
LSU only shot 36 percent in the first half against Alabama’s 40 percent. The Crimson Tide also outscored LSU, 14-8.
Junior guard Raigyne Moncrief said communication between the defense is one of the things the team lacked during the first half against Alabama.
“I think we were over extended,” Moncrief said. “Instead of packing it in on the inside, they were getting paint points on us in middle drive. We weren’t playing our scout report defense and we made the adjustment in the second half.”
As the third quarter commenced, Alabama quickly gained the lead and kept it for much of the third.
Ayana Mitchell made two baskets at the free throw line to tie the game at 33. Mitchell found her way to the free throw line two more times. She was 2-for-4 to decrease Alabama’s lead, 37-35.
However, Alabama won the third quarter, 39-35.
The Crimson Tide struggled to score in the fourth as the Lady Tigers were able to tie the game at 39.
Foul trouble plagued both teams. Alabama had 23 and LSU had 22 personal fouls. Senior forward Alexis Hyder fouled out in the fourth.
The Lady Tigers are known for turning over opponents and using their opponent’s mistakes to their advantage. LSU did just that. Alabama turned the ball for a game total of 25 times.
LSU outscored the Crimson Tide, 13-2 in the fourth, though both teams combined for 30-of-95 from the field goal line.
Moncrief said the team’s defensive play determines if the team will gain a victory or not.
“That’s what we do and when we don’t do that we tend to lose,” Moncrief said. “We pick it up defensively, and do what we need to do on the defensive end,” Moncrief said. “That’s when we start winning so we need to continue to do that. When we slack from that or stay away from that, that’s when we lose.”
