The LSU women’s basketball team’s NCAA tournament fate is now in the hands of the NCAA selection committee with Selection Monday on the horizon in four days.
LSU’s defense was dominant in a 60-36 victory against No. 10-seed Alabama in the first round of the Southeastern Conference tournament, but a narrow defeat in the quarterfinals to No. 2-seed Kentucky, 60-58, sent the No. 7-seed Lady Tigers packing.
The nation’s No. 10 defense limited Alabama to just nine points in the first half, tied for the fewest total in any half in LSU history, and the Crimson Tide’s 36 total points tied for the fewest ever allowed in an SEC tournament game.
But limiting Kentucky to 60 points – 11 below its season scoring average – wasn’t enough. The same offensive struggles plagued the Lady Tigers, particularly woes from the free throw line.
LSU shot just 6-of-15 from the charity stripe compared to Kentucky’s 15-of-19 total. Kentucky went on to advance to the finals of the SEC tournament, where it lost to No. 1-seed Tennessee, 90-65, on Sunday.
The Kentucky loss was the second of the season to the Wildcats by a two-point margin, as LSU dropped a 49-47 road contest Feb. 13.
Now the Lady Tigers seek their 13th straight NCAA tournament appearance with a resume that includes a road victory Dec. 28 against then-No. 9 UCLA and a home win Jan. 30 against then-No. 20 Georgia. LSU hasn’t lost any games to opponents with an RPI of 90 or lower.
“I’m not on the NCAA committee,” said LSU coach Van Chancellor. “But if a UCLA win on the road, now won nine SEC games, played Tennessee twice and Connecticut [doesn’t make us] an NCAA team, I don’t know what it takes to be one.”
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