History is at stake tonight for LSU junior forward LaSondra Barrett.
Barrett, the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week, is just seven points shy of 1,000 and eight rebounds away from 500 for her career, which spans 81 games.
If she reaches those milestones tonight, when LSU (14-7, 4-3) faces Arkansas (15-4, 3-4) at 7 p.m. in the PMAC, she will be the first player in LSU history to achieve both benchmarks in the same game and the 17th LSU player with 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.
“A lot of players reach 1,000 points, but not a lot reach 1,000 points and 500 rebounds,” said LSU coach Van Chancellor. “[LaSondra Barrett] has been a real special player for us here at LSU. We got her committed early [in 2008], and that became one of the cornerstones for our future. Barrett has been really good inside and in the high post.”
Setting the records will not be nearly as sweet for Barrett and the Lady Tigers if LSU does not beat Arkansas, who sports three of the top 12 scorers in the SEC with junior guard C’eira Ricketts (No. 7 with 13.6 points per game), sophomore forward Sarah Watkins (No. 8 with 13.3) and jnior guard Lyndsay Harris (No. 12 with 12.8).
Barrett is right behind Harris at No. 13 with 12.7 points per game in her 20 games, which were all starts.
Barrett, a 6-foot-2-inch native of Jackson, Miss., said the difference this year is that everyone plays to each other’s strengths, particularly the perimeter shooting of sophomore guard Adrienne Webb and freshman guard Jeanne Kenney.
“No disrespect to last year, but we didn’t have that personnel. … The only 3-point shooter we had was Allison Hightower,” Barrett said. “Having two now, if Webb is off one night, you can bring in Jeanne Kenney and vice versa. It’s fun to be out there and see Jeanne bust their zone [defense] and make them get out of zone.”
The Arkansas game is the third of LSU’s four-game homestand before traveling on the road for five of its final seven regular-season games.
The Razorbacks have dropped two straight SEC games to Vanderbilt and Ole Miss after winning their first 12 games. They have also dropped out of the top 25.
LSU has beaten Arkansas 16 straight times since 2003, but Kenney said it will still take work to fell the Razorbacks.
“Arkansas has been a top 25 team, and that always catches your attention,” Kenney said. “They have drivers, they have shooters and they play very hard man and zone.”
 
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