The Lady Tigers celebrated junior forward Alexis Hyder’s game-winning free throws on the court after their upset of No. 24 Tennessee, 57-56, in the PMAC on Sunday.
As Hyder walked to the free throw line, all she could think was “first one ties, second one wins it.” Sophomore guard Jenna Deemer whispered “Redeem yourself 20” to the junior forward.
Just a few minutes earlier, Hyder gave Tennessee the opportunity to take the lead by a point with just under three minutes remaining in the game with an inopportune foul.
“I owe my team that,” Hyder said. “They really kept me in it. I really thought I lost it for them, and I would be sick had we lost this game. I’m really glad that they were there for me because I was in ‘La-La’ land for a second and they didn’t allow me to go.”
The Lady Tigers (9-18, 3-11 Southeastern Conference) not only broke their six-game losing streak but also ended a four-game skid against Tennessee (16-11, 7-7 SEC) in the PMAC. LSU’s last win against the Lady Vols at home came on Feb. 26, 2009, which also marked the last time an unranked LSU team beat a ranked Tennessee squad.
Throughout the 2016 season, the Lady Tigers struggled defensively and offensively while battling injuries.
“I really think the best part of this win is that this has been a season where their character has been tested,” said LSU coach Nikki Fargas. “When adversity hits, who are we? We have been tough and you can’t just check LSU off. You have to have a game plan and you have to execute it.”
LSU fought through a back-and-forth affair, which featured five lead changes and five ties, to earn its first win against a ranked opponent this season.
LSU grabbed the lead against Tennessee in the first quarter, 12-10. The lead helped the Lady Tigers secure a stronger second quarter as senior forward Akilah Bethel led with 12 rebounds, a new career-high for the Maryland native.
Bethel also contributed nine points alongside Deemer. While junior guard Rina Hill added another eight points. Hyder led the Lady Tigers with 17 points. Hyder made nine of her 11 free throws, the last two resulting in the victory with just three seconds left.
LSU held a 28-18 halftime lead after a 12-0 run by the Lady Tigers late in the second quarter.
The third quarter was a back-and-forth tournament as LSU and the Lady Vols exchanged the lead twice and knotted two ties. Deemer pulled two back-to-back three-point shots with an assist and steal from Hill, to take back the Lady Tigers’ lead, 39-35.
The fourth quarter was highly contested until Hyder’s free throws sealed the deal. LSU held a 14-9 free throw advantage over Tennessee.
The win served as a treat for the Lady Tigers as they have faced many hardships this season, one being a loss of players due to injury.
“We were excited,” Bethel said. “After you go through what we’ve gone through I don’t think this could’ve played out any crazier, this whole season in general, with some people not coming back, injuries, and everything. … It just feels good that all the work that you’ve put in, regardless of our obstacles, that we pulled out the ‘W.’”
In the words of Bethel, the team was “turnt.”
You can reach Jourdan Riley on Twitter @jourdanr_TDR