The LSU women’s basketball team had little trouble with the NWBL Elite team in its opening exhibition game, shooting 64 percent from the field and running away with a 113-46 win in front of 1,121 people in the PMAC.
Sophomore guard Seimone Augustus scored 21 points on eight-of-16 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Lady Tigers, while point guard Temeka Johnson and freshman Marian Whitfield each had 18 points.
The Lady Tigers forced the NBWL into 39 turnovers, which led to 54 points.
Coach Sue Gunter said the team is going to be more up-tempo, but likely will not have the same type of success against better quality opponents.
“I was pleased overall, but obviously we have a long way to go,” Gunter said. “We are a perimeter-oriented team and that’s what we’re going to be. The nice thing about our inside players right now is that they’re willing to run the floor.”
LSU had its first 100-point game since Nov. 17, 1998 in a 100-49 win against St. John, and it was only the 16th time LSU has ever reached the century mark.
After giving up the first basket of the game, LSU went on a 31-9 run and the points kept coming. Augustus poured in 14 first half points and the team took a 59-22 lead at half.
Augustus and Johnson combined for the team’s first 18 points with Augustus hitting a 3-pointer for LSU’s first points.
Johnson said the team was ready to play a game after nearly a month of practice.
“The first game is always fun because we practice forever, plus I was anxious to see what we’d look like,” Johnson said. “With the people we have now, I think they’ll like playing in these up-tempo type of games.”
Augustus said she played better defensively in the game, and the team’s transition play seemed to create some problems for the NWBL team.
“We talked about making the other team tired and that’s what we came out and did,” Augustus said. “In the first half we got out and ran.”
The team opened the second half with a 12-2 run and shot 72 percent from the floor in the second frame.
Tillie Willis and Treynell Clavelle combined for 14 points and five rebounds for LSU in the post. Gunter said the pair played well, but have plenty of room to improve.
“I think the inside game has got to come around for us,” Gunter said.
The NBWL outrebounded LSU 49-41, which Gunter said is a concern.
“We didn’t do a good job on the boards, and that always seems to be a concern with us whether we’re big or little,” she said. “I think it’s essential this year. We’ve got to limit the second chance points.”
Along with Whitfield, the other three freshmen saw significant time in the game. Forward Hanna Biernacka and guard Khalilah Mitchell each contributed seven points and Amber Long added four.
“The best thing about tonight was getting the four freshmen the opportunity to play and to play for an extended period of time,” Gunter said.
Whitfield, a freshman out of Augusta, Ga., said she was nervous playing in her first game but settled down early, shooting nine-of-11 from the field.
“The first shot I took was kind of off, but I got into the flow,” Whitfield said.
Forward Jamie Redd led the NWBL team with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Former Lady Tiger Aiysha Smith had three points and six rebounds.
“I thought they [the Lady Tigers] would be a little bit more competitive, but that team [NWBL] was just kind of thrown together.”
Augustus, who along with Johnson has not had much of a break from basketball because the two played on the Olympic team in the summer, also said she was ready to get the season started.
“At this point I was just eager to go,” she said. “With a young team and all the things we have to deal with in terms of expectations, I can’t think about being tired at this point in the season.”