HAMMOND, La. — The LSU women’s basketball team used two big second-half runs Sunday to pull away from Southeastern Louisiana 93-52 in front of a school-record crowd of 2,606.
After struggling in the first half, LSU managed to take an eight-point lead into intermission. The Lady Lions managed to tie the game at 28 before ending the half down 40-32.
The Lady Tigers came out on fire in the second half, going on a 22-6 run to take a 24-point advantage. SLU (1-1) never led in the contest.
Freshman guard Seimone Augustus led LSU (2-0) in scoring with 17 points in 25 minutes of action. She made eight of 10 shots from the floor.
“I think we started off a little slow,” Augustus said. “As coach said, we weren’t playing like LSU, so we had to pick up our game a little bit.”
LSU head coach Sue Gunter said being on the road with an emotional crowd against them may have contributed to the sluggish start. She said Southeastern shot the ball well the entire game, and it took until halftime for her team to make the necessary adjustments.
“We just decided it was time to get off the bus and go to work,” Gunter said.
Five Lady Tigers scored in double figures in the game, including forward DeTrina White and guard Temeka Johnson, who each had 12 points.
Melissa Williams led SLU with 12 points. The team shot 36 percent from the floor, compared to LSU’s 57 percent.
Gunter was glad the team pulled away in the second half, she said, because it allowed some bench players get some playing time. LSU outscored SLU 23-2 over the final 10 minutes of the game.
“I think it’s a thing that’s going to be a pattern for this team,” Gunter said. “We’re going to have about 10 or 11 players that are going to have to play for us down the stretch.”
Johnson said the team played better in the second half because the coaching staff challenged them to be more aggressive defensively and play to their full capability. She said the backups doing so well was a good indication of how the team is not the underdog it was last year.
“That just proves that everyone on this team is talented and we don’t have to worry about coming out of the game,” Johnson said. “We know that when people come in, they’re going to produce, and that showed tonight.”
LSU beat Arizona Friday night 78-71 in overtime on the road. The Lady Tigers’ next game is the home opener Monday night against Florida Atlantic at 7 p.m.