The fire once again will be burning on the Lady Tigers’ bench tonight against Arkansas with the LSU coach making her return to the court after a four-game absence due to bronchitis.
Associate coach Pokey Chatman and assistant coach Bob Starkey assumed the responsibilities of head coach during Gunter’s absence, something Chatman said was easy to do because of the way Gunter runs her program.
“Sometimes when things happen you do not think about it, you just react to it and you do what comes natural,” Chatman said. “I don’t think it was a big difference in terms of the kids and how we prepared because me and Bob are so involved in the day to day preparation anyway. So I think the way she runs the program actually made it easier for us.”
During Gunter’s four-game absence the Lady Tigers went 4-0, including two wins against Top 25 teams.
No. 12 LSU (15-2, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) rides into the Bud Walton arena on a 14-game winning streak.
The Lady Tigers used heroics late in the game against Kentucky last Sunday to keep the winning streak alive. Kentucky led by as many as 12 points early in the first half before LSU took its first lead with 2:24 to play in the first half.
Kentucky battled LSU to the finish, using 10 3-point baskets to keep the crowd alive and the game close. A short jump shot by Doneeka Hodges with 20 seconds to play gave the Lady Tigers the win, 70-69. Hodges finished with 16 points.
“It was awful, absolutely awful,” Gunter said about missing the game. “I missed being there, but you must realize that you are sick and you have to get well. And you have to know that they are going to do the job and they did.”
Seimone Augustus led the team with 20 points for her second consecutive 20-point performance. Augustus scored a career-high 28 against Florida.
Chatman, a former All-American point guard with the Lady Tigers in 1991, said the team used Gunter’s illness as motivation.
“Our kids used it as a positive just in terms of wanting to win for coach Gunter,” Chatman said. “Obviously you are going to miss her enthusiasm and her excitement, but they are a prepared basketball team and I think it actually made them focus even more – the fact that she wasn’t there.”
Senior point guard Temeka Johnson said Gunter’s return is just what the Lady Tigers need as they continue their three-game Southeastern Conference road trip.
“It is very important that she is back because she is Coach Gunter,” Johnson said. “Because of the type of person she is and the excitement and intensity that she brings to the game. If she is pissed then we know that we are really doing something wrong and that is something that we never want to do. We never want to upset her and everybody on our team’s main goal is to please her.”
The four-game absence marked the longest stretch of games missed in Gunter’s 22-year coaching career at LSU. The only other game she missed was due to her mother’s death in 1995.
Gunter said Chatman and Starkey did a terrific job during the four-game stretch.
“It is one of those things that when you work with a staff as long as we have that everyone is on the same page and the communication is great,” Gunter said. “I don’t think anything was run any differently than it would have been if I would have been here. There was no decision made that would have been different and it just had to be business as usual.”
The Gunter-led Lady Tigers are 13-9 all-time against Arkansas. The two teams split the season series last year. Arkansas defeated LSU, 82-72, in Fayetteville. LSU returned the favor by defeating the Lady ‘Backs in Baton Rouge, 70-57.
Arkansas (12-3, 1-1 SEC) is led by SEC player of the week Shameka Christon. The senior averages 22.4 points per game this season, but is averaging 24 per game in SEC play.
The Lady Tigers placed emphasis in practice this week on containing Christon. LSU guard Scholanda Hoston said although LSU is aware of Christon’s threat, the Lady Tigers are preparing for Arkansas the same way as they prepare for any other SEC team.
“The only thing we do different to prepare for Arkansas is we’re really aware that they have some good players,” Hoston said. “Christon especially, because she’s capable of scoring 40 points a night. So, we put a special emphasis on that in practice.”
Johnson said while the team wanted its coach to be with them, she knew it was in the best interest for Gunter to get well.
“My main focus was for Coach Gunter to just take care of herself and get better and get back,” Johnson said. “If that meant for her to stay at home longer and longer, then that is how it was supposed to be.”