The LSU women’s basketball team relied on a second-half surge to defeat Arkansas, 65-38, Thursday night at Bud Walton Arena.
The No. 11 Lady Tigers (13-1, 2-0) entered the locker room at halftime with the game knotted up at 19-19, but a 15-0 second-half run lifted them past the Lady Razorbacks (8-7, 0-2).
LSU shot 0-of-6 from the field to start the game, and Arkansas took advantage by taking an 8-0 lead. Junior point guard Latear Eason hit a jumper at the 14:08 mark for LSU’s first points of the game.
The Lady Tigers grabbed a 14-13 lead with six minutes left in the half with a 3-pointer from Eason, but the Lady Razorbacks scored six points before halftime to tie the game at 19.
LSU played a sloppy first half, committing 16 turnovers and shooting 31.8 percent from the field.
“In the first half we uncharacteristically continued to turn the ball over,” LSU coach Van Chancellor said in a news release. “We tried every option, but we went in halftime and erased everything.”
Junior guard Katherine Graham hit a layup to began a 15-0 LSU charge in the second half. Sophomore forward LaSondra Barrett and Eason each provided 3-point plays to contribute to the streak.
“We were tied at the half, and I thought that would be a positive thing, but LSU hit three traditional 3-point plays to start the second and that deflated us,” said Arkansas coach Tom Collen.
The Lady Tigers had a 29-point lead, 65-36, after a 3-pointer from freshman guard Adrienne Webb.
The second half belonged to LSU, as the Lady Tigers outscored the Lady Razorbacks, 46-19, and shot 48.6 percent.
“We came out in the second half and played as well as we could,” Chancellor said.
Arkansas was guilty of 29 turnovers and shot 29.8 percent from the floor in the game.
It was the 15th consecutive victory for LSU against Arkansas. The Lady Tiger defense held Arkansas to the fewest points in the series history while beating the Lady Razorbacks by double figures for the 12 consecutive time.
LSU will return home Sunday to face Auburn at 2 p.m. in its third Southeastern Conference game.
 
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