Momentum has been a factor the LSU women’s basketball team has battled on both ends of the court throughout the season.
The Lady Tigers have gained momentum the past two games, allowing 81 combined points in Southeastern Conference blowout wins against Florida and Auburn after surrendering 151 in overtime losses against Georgia and Ole Miss.
No. 23 LSU (17-7, 6-6) has a chance to keep that energy rolling tonight at 7 p.m. in the PMAC against No. 20 Vanderbilt (18-7, 7-5).
LSU will donate $1 to Baton Rouge area cancer research for each student that attends the game, which is being publicized as the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association “Pink Zone Game.”
LSU senior guard Allison Hightower and coach Van Chancellor both described Vanderbilt as a “scrappy team,” whose matchup zone defense will present a tough task for the LSU offense.
“Vanderbilt plays the best matchup zone in the whole country,” Chancellor said. “They just give you fits. I’m trying everything I can to find a way to score.”
Hightower said Vanderbilt’s defense resembles a man-to-man attack.
“We’ve just been working on our man plays and our man motion game,” Hightower said. “Vanderbilt likes to get loose balls and rebounds, and they hustle. We have to match the intensity they have and want it more than they do and be tougher than they are, especially on the glass.”
Sophomore forward Swayze Black has started in LSU’s past two victories, a move Chancellor said gave the team a new fire. Black scored six points with one rebound and one steal against Auburn, and she finished with four points, two rebounds and two steals against Florida.
“We just weren’t happy with our team, so we put in Swayze Black,” Chancellor said. “The team has done nothing but catch on. It’s been playing up a storm.”
Black never started a college game before LSU’s road game at Florida on Feb. 11, but she said she values the opportunity to contribute during the Lady Tigers’ final stretch of games.
“It’s been exciting and nerve-racking at the same time,” Black said. “I’m getting more comfortable understanding what my role is on the floor, and I’m being able to do that — playing defense, rebounding, scoring when I can and getting people open.”
Black said being in the starting lineup has been crucial to LSU’s momentum swing.
“We’ve been getting a lot more accomplished,” Black said. “We’ve been playing a lot better on the offensive side, getting the shots we want and knocking them down. And we’re all staying together and helping each other.”
Sophomore guard Destini Hughes also entered the starting lineup in place of junior point guard Latear Eason back on Feb. 7 against Ole Miss. Hughes has contributed 14 points, eight assists and three rebounds and has committed only three turnovers since then.
“When [Eason] got hurt, [Hughes] was just playing so well that I stayed with her,” Chancellor said.
Freshman guard Adrienne Webb has also come off the bench to score double figures in each of LSU’s most recent wins. Webb scored 10 points in 17 minutes against Auburn and 13 points in 24 minutes at Florida.
“Webb really knows how to finish plays,” Chancellor said. “When you win two games, you still have to get after them and get them to think they’ve got to get better.”
Finishing plays and staying aggressive throughout games are aspects the Lady Tigers have emphasized this season. Hightower said being successful in these areas is imperative down the stretch.
“We definitely know when we don’t finish, it takes away from us and gives to them,” Hightower said. “We have to have a sense of urgency knowing those games we lost put us in a hard position in the SEC. Now we have to keep coming out, make sure we’re locked in and have the same mindset going onto the court.”
Contact Rachel Whittaker at [email protected]