A 19-0 scoring run, a dominant first half performance and senior guard Adrienne Webb’s career-high 28 points propelled LSU to a 62-42 win against Mississippi State on Sunday at the PMAC.
Webb led the Lady Tigers (11-6, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) in scoring, shooting 9-for-14 from the field and 4-for-6 behind the 3-point line. Webb surpassed her career record of 26 points that she earned against Mississippi State on Jan. 13, 2011.
In LSU’s 63-54 loss at Arkansas on Jan. 10, Webb failed to score, had two turnovers and fouled out. She put up 400 shots outside of practice for the next two days in order to play in the game against Mississippi State.
LSU coach Nikki Caldwell said the 400 shots weren’t required but “strongly suggested,” and completing the task in two days built Webb’s confidence.
“I set a goal for me to get in the gym and get shots up whether it was threes or twos,” Webb said. “…It felt like I wasn’t doing my all for my team on both ends of the floor.”
Webb said she feels pressure being an upperclassman, but she rises to the occasion.
“When you have that kind of pressure, you have to take it upon yourself to be a better leader not just for yourself, but for your team,” she said.
The Bulldogs’ (8-9, 0-4 SEC) 42 points were the fewest by an LSU opponent this season. The Lady Tigers held Mississippi State to 22 percent field goal shooting and 0-for-9 3-point shooting in the first 20 minutes.
By the end of the first half, LSU had a 35-15 lead, forced 12 Mississippi State turnovers and out-rebounded the Bulldogs 24-17.
First-year Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer credited the loss to LSU’s athletic two-three zone, which caused 12 turnovers in the first half for the Bulldogs, and helped spark LSU’s run that started late in the first half and ended early in the second.
“We probably lost the game in the last six minutes of the first half,” Schaefer said. “It got away from us pretty quickly.”
Caldwell said that run set the tone for the victory.
“Our ability to get a lead and maintain it was key for us,” Caldwell said. “We were able to finally pull away from Mississippi State.”
Mississippi State held junior forward Theresa Plaisance — the SEC’s leading scorer — to 10 points on 4-for-13 shooting. They also held SEC Freshman of the Week guard Danielle Ballard to two points on 1-for-8 shooting.
LSU junior guard Jeanne Kenney sat out with an aggravated left shoulder injury. Caldwell said Kenney should return to the court Thursday at South Carolina.
‘We probably lost the game in the last six minutes of the first half.’
