LSU sophomore guard Adrienne Webb screamed with elation when her 3-point shot swooshed through the net and tied the game at 53-all in the final minute Wednesday against Ohio State.
But that feeling was fleeting in LSU’s home opener, as the No. 7 Buckeyes defeated LSU, 59-55, before a crowd of 2,893 in the PMAC. The Lady Tigers are 0-2 for the first time since their inaugural season in 1975-76.
Webb had previously tied the game at 50-all on a jumper with 2:24 to play, bringing LSU all the way back from an 11-point deficit in the second half. She led LSU in scoring for the second-straight game with 16 points.
But the momentum swung back to Ohio State with 2:09 left when LSU players thought the Buckeyes had called a timeout. As a result, guard Alison Jackson was left wide open to convert a jumper for a 52-50 lead.
The LSU bench then drew a technical foul for having six players on the court when junior forward LaSondra Barrett attempted to substitute in the game, and Ohio State guard Tayler Hill sunk the ensuing free throw.
“I guess we all were a little excited,” said LSU senior guard Latear Eason. “We saw [Ohio State coach Jim Foster] motioning for a timeout, and we saw the point guard heading over to the bench, and instead of waiting until the whistle blew, we started celebrating a little early. Our sub was who was coming in off the bench started coming on the court because she thought the referee had already called a timeout, but we got the technical foul for coming on the court.”
Indeed the whistle never blew, and Eason called the early celebration “a lack of discipline.”
“We were all pumped up. We should have waited on the whistle,” LSU coach Van Chancellor said. “We left the player [Jackson] wide open. In the Southeastern Conference, the officials have all the power, and you just have to take what they tell you.”
Foster said he wasn’t sure exactly what happened on the confusing play, but he ventured a guess.
“At this time of year, for four or five weeks we are practicing and just subbing on the run,” Foster said. “I think maybe people just drifted on the court and someone messed up. I think they had six players on the court from what I could see.”
LSU’s shooting performance was cold again, as the team converted just 33 percent of its attempts and 18 percent from 3-point range.
Senior guard Katherine Graham played just 14 minutes and did not score a point, and Barrett played 23 minutes with four points.
Eason reached double figures with 12 points in 35 minutes of action.
“I don’t want to name any names, but we need to get some low block presses from somebody,” Chancellor said. “That is why we’re not consistent. Everyone is out there playing on the perimeter.”
Ohio State All-American center Jantel Lavender led the Buckeyes with 17 points on 7-of-24 from the field and 13 rebounds. She played all 40 minutes, as did Hill, who scored 15 points and seven rebounds.
 
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