With an uncharacteristic slow start from guards Temeka Johnson, Seimone Augustus and Doneeka Hodges, the LSU women’s basketball team rolled up their sleeves and worked the ball inside on the way to an 82-62 victory over South Carolina.
Playing against a much larger Lady Gamecocks frontline, LSU dominated inside, outscoring South Carolina 46-28 in the paint. The Lady Tigers also held the edge in rebounding 33-26, including an 8-3 advantage in offensive rebounds.
South Carolina came out playing very aggressive against LSU’s vaunted perimeter players, and relying on their large frontcourt of 6-foot-5 Iva Sliskovic and 6-foot-4 Olga Gritsaeva to shut down LSU’s inside game.
“They did play hard-nosed defense on our guards, so that makes it better for our post players,” said LSU sophomore Seimone Augustus. “They can have one-on-one in the post.”
LSU’s inside duo of 6-foot-1 forwards Hanna Biernacka and Wendlyn Jones responded to the challenge by scoring a combined 24 points and pulling down 16 rebounds. Guard Scholanda Hoston also added 10 points in the paint.
Jones, who recorded her second consecutive double-double, said she was not surprised by the success the Tigers enjoyed down low.
“We talk about it all the time,” Jones said. “Our coaches talk about getting the ball in the paint. We know if we can get the ball in the paint and get shots in the paint our offense is going to work a lot better.”
Biernacka said she agreed with Jones’s assessment.
“That’s how we always try to play,” Biernacka said. “We try to get the ball in the paint to create open shots on the perimeter.”
Biernacka, a native of Salertalje, Sweden said she was very comfortable with the inside style the Lady Tigers showed against South Carolina.
“I felt like I was back home,” Biernacka said. “That was European basketball, it was very physical, but I am used to it.”
LSU associate coach Pokey Chatman said she was pleased with the play in the paint.
“You talk about the points in the paint and the things we try to do, we’re going to do those things regardless of the opponent, and I think that serves us well when we come in here and face a South Carolina,” Chatman said. “I think it was ironic to come in here and face a big front line and have our post players establish themselves so early, and I think the perimeter just fed off it.”
South Carolina head coach Susan Walvius said she was disappointed with her team’s defensive effort.
“I didn’t think we executed our defensive game plan very well,” Wolves said. “They worked a little bit behind the zone and they kept us spread on the perimeter. That wasn’t what we were looking to do. We were looking to sag a little more defensively, make them beat us from the outside, and we came out and we guarded them and gave up penetration.”