Starting center DeTrina White’s comeback from a stress fracture in her right foot is going very well, according to head coach Sue Gunter.
While not set in stone, White could be back in time for the postseason schedule.
“Who knows?,” Gunter said of White’s possible return to the team. “We’ve been through so much [with her injuries]. You hope that she will [be back]. It’s one of those things where we’re not saying she’s going to be back, but we have every indication if the treatment continues to go as it is now and she continues to improve, we think we’ll have her back by postseason.”
According to Gunter, White has been rehabilitating in a pool and also by way of electronic stimulation.
White said she is not experiencing any pain in her rehab but said she does has some soreness.
“I’ve just been doing rehab a little more intensely,” White said. “As to when I get back, I don’t know yet. I’m just going day by day to see how it feels.”
LSU is off to its best start in school history at 22-1. But White said it is not as tough to watch games from the bench, seeing that she has struggled with injuries for the last three season.
“It’s not frustrating anymore,” White said. “I’ve been through this four times. Right now, I’m just taking it as it goes.”
Gunter said White is on the right course to recovery and could contribute in the postseason.
“She’s progressed,” Gunter said. “The schedule [for rehab has] been very strict and rigid, but she’s coming along. She’s out of the [walking] boot now, she’s putting some weight on it, she’s doing some jogging and she’s doing some lateral stuff. It’s a month [today] since she’s had the surgery.” Saturday’s game has tourney feel.
Santa Barbara played at North Carolina State, Michigan, Illinois and LSU in hopes of preparing their team for the NCAA Tournament. The Gauchos have also hosted and beaten then-No. 6 Purdue.
“We always schedule these games to go away [similar to the NCAA Tournament] from our home court because we’re probably not going to host this year,” said UCSB forward Kristen Mann.
In the Lady Tigers’ corner, LSU is hoping to get contributing freshman Seimone Augustus and Wendlyn Jones some much needed tournament type of experience.
So when the two teams squared off at the PMAC and battled through two halves and three overtimes, what was the feeling on the court?
“It was a fun atmosphere,” UCSB point guard Jess Hansen said. “It had a NCAA Tournament feel to it.”
Augustus said it was a new experience for her.
“I didn’t know the NCAA [Tournament] was suppose to be like that,” Augustus said. “It prepared us for the games that are coming up.” The impressive tandem
Temeka Johnson and Aiysha Smith came out of Saturday’s game against UCSB with two new fans.
Both Hansen, who guarded Johnson, and Mann, who went head-to-head and basket-to-basket with Smith late in regulation and in the three overtimes, had nice things to say about the two starters.
“She’s an amazing competitor,” Hansen said of her counterpart Johnson. “I enjoyed playing against her. I respect her a lot. She’s quick. Probably one of the best guards I’ve played against, hands down. She runs that team. She’s the general.”
Mann, who made a funny quip after hearing Smith had 30 points in the game, said she expects Smith to move on to bigger and better things after her LSU career is complete.
“She’s very tough,” Mann said. “She’s a very good athlete. She’s going pro because she’s phenomenal.”
Smith garnered SEC Player of the Week for her performance.