The LSU women’s basketball team won’t have a first-round bye in the Southeastern Conference tournament for the first time in 10 seasons.
But the Lady Tigers (17-11, 7-7) have a more pressing issue to deal with as they prepare for their final two games — at home against South Carolina on Thursday (16-11, 8-6) and Sunday at Tennessee (26-2, 14-0) — scoring points.
Defense has not been a hindrance for the Tigers in the past seven games, as they have held opponents to 55 points or less. However, the team has only won three of those contests.
“It’s unbelievable. I’m amazed by it,” said LSU coach Van Chancellor. “I’m not looking at [postseason scenarios]. What I’m looking at is finding us a way to score, trying to get better.”
LSU can enter the SEC tournament no higher than the No. 5 seed and no worse than No. 8. A win against South Carolina is crucial to have a shot at higher seeding because Tennessee, which has won 17 straight games, stands in its way to close the regular season.
ESPN women’s basketball analyst Carolyn Peck said the outcomes in the SEC tournament are uncertain.
“Tennessee has won 17 straight, but in a few of those, they’ve had major deficits they’ve had to overcome,” Peck said. “Throughout the regular season, different teams beat different people you wouldn’t expect. The SEC will be exciting and unpredictable. I think you have to throw records out the window.”
Peck said LSU’s résumé going into the NCAA tournament has a few bright spots in the midst of its scoring woes. The Lady Tigers have “quality wins” at then-No. 9 UCLA (55-53) and against then-No. 20 Georgia (47-41).
Peck predicted Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia and Vanderbilt as locks to make the NCAA tournament from the SEC, while South Carolina, LSU and Arkansas sit on the bubble.
“I think the one on the outside looking in is South Carolina having only 16 wins now,” Peck said. “But they are tied with LSU in playing the most top 50 teams — they’ve both played 11.”
Peck said the benchmark to be in the conversation for an NCAA tournament bid is 18 wins.
“Either of them would have to get to the semifinals of the SEC tournament and have a good showing there, then it’s left up to the committee,” she said.
In the pivotal matchup between the Lady Tigers and Gamecocks, Peck said LSU has to find a scoring threat to coincide with its top defense. LSU is No. 1 in the SEC in scoring defense (52.3 points per game) and No. 2 in 3-point field goal percentage defense at 28.5 percent.
“LSU can [rely on its defense], but they’re going to need [junior forward LaSondra] Barrett to be offensive-minded, to score and make her presence felt,” Peck said. “It will be interesting to watch how many attempts they get at the free-throw line.”
Chancellor said it’s not hard to see where LSU is lacking, but it’s a matter of executing better offensively.
“We have to find a way to put the ball in the basket and make some free throws,” he said. “It’s not a mystery as to where we are.”
 
 
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