When the LSU women’s basketball team have needed points to close out Southeastern Conference games this season, the Lady Tigers have come up cold.
The late-game offensive woes continued Thursday night in Athens, Ga., when LSU junior guard Katherine Graham missed a game-tying 23-foot 3-pointer with two seconds in overtime, giving the No. 14 Lady Bulldogs (19-4, 6-4 SEC) a 49-46 win.
Senior guard Allison Hightower missed a similar 3-point opportunity on LSU’s previous possession.
The LSU (15-6, 4-5) defense held, but the No. 19 Lady Tigers could not score when they needed to.
“We had a shot at the end of the game,” LSU coach Van Chancellor said in a radio interview. “We just couldn’t make [it].”
Hightower scored the first points of overtime, but Georgia junior forward Porsha Phillips responded with a layup and two free throws.
Graham knotted the game up at 46-46 with 1:39 remaining in overtime. Then Georgia freshman guard Jasmine James scored on a layup to put the Lady Bulldogs up by two.
Barrett turned the ball over, and James made one-of-two free throws, giving Georgia the 49-46 lead. Hightower and Graham’s miscues from behind the arc sealed the Lady Tigers’ fifth SEC loss.
LSU was 1-for-9 from the floor in overtime.
“We did not do the job we should have done,” Chancellor said. “If we get anybody that can make a shot, we’re fine.”
LSU sophomore guard LaSondra Barrett shot uncharacteristically poor throughout the night. Barrett was a cold 1-for-15 in 39 minutes.
The offensive drought at the end of games continued for LSU. The Lady Tigers had the lead in the second half in four out of their five SEC losses.
“We just couldn’t make a shot when we needed to,” Chancellor said. “If you can’t score, it’s hard to win in this league.”
The stingy defenses contributed to the low score. LSU and Georgia were No. 1 and No. 2 in scoring defense going into the matchup.
Neither team could find a point in the last 4:02 minutes as the game was tied, 42-42.
The Lady Tigers had the ball with 20.5 seconds left for the final possession of the game. Sophomore guard Destini Hughes held the ball before passing to Barrett, who missed a potential game-winning shot from 18 feet.
Georgia got the rebound and missed a half-court hurl as time expired and the game moved to overtime.
Hughes played most of the second half, contributing with four steals. Freshman guard Bianca Lutley saw more of the court than usual, playing 11 minutes.
The Tigers come home to Baton Rouge on Sunday for their second meeting of the season with Ole Miss at 1 p.m.
Ole Miss freshman guard Bianca Thomas lit up the Lady Tigers for 42 points on Jan. 17 as the Rebels won, 80-71.
Barrett had a career-high 30 points and 10 rebounds, but her performance could not overcome Ole Miss’ shooting spree.
The Rebels shot more than 50 percent from the floor and beyond the arc.
Sunday’s matchup is the inaugural “GPA Game” to honor education. The Lady Tigers have been participating in the “Grades, Perseverance and Education” program since last summer.
The GPA program was established as a partnership between LSU women’s basketball and the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, where Lady Tiger players speak to students about hard work and education. 
 
——Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]