The LSU women’s basketball team received its first taste of defeat Sunday when the No. 10 Arkansas Ladybacks beat the Lady Tigers 82-72 at home, ending the No. 2 team’s record 15-game winning streak.
Shooting seemed to undo the Tigers from both ends, with Arkansas’ players having the hot hand throughout the game and LSU not finding its stroke until it was too late. LSU (15-1, 3-1 SEC) also had 23 turnovers and shot 45 percent for the game.
Arkansas (16-2, 3-0) shot 49 percent from the field including 55 percent from 3-point range. Junior Shameka Christon scored 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting, while guard India Lewis added 19 for the Ladybacks.
Doneeka Hodges led the Tigers with 26 points. Seimone Augustus had 12 points.
Arkansas controlled the first half, taking the lead on a Christon layup to start the game. The teams traded leads for five possessions until the Ladybacks relinquished it midway through the half when Doneeka Hodges hit a 3-pointer to give LSU a 21-20 lead.
With both teams in zone defenses, neither team could score and both turned the ball over several times before Arkansas got hot and ended the half on a 14-2 run.
The hot shooting continued in the second half for Arkansas, who took a 47-34 lead with 14:57 to go in the game. The Ladybacks twice extended the lead to 16 points over the next seven minutes, only to have LSU cut the lead to under 10 both times.
But the home team would not be denied, overcoming a strong LSU charge late in the game to pull out the win.