After another frustrating offensive performance in a 51-45 loss against Tulane on Wednesday, the LSU women’s basketball team hopes to get its offense into gear against Rutgers at 2 p.m. on Saturday in the PMAC.
“What I am seeing is a team that is struggling offensively,” said LSU coach Nikki Caldwell. “We’ve got to regroup and figure out the play action that we need to run – really how to get this team to be more efficient on the offensive end.”
Through four games, the Lady Tigers (2-2) average 55.5 points per game and have shot only 35.7 percent from the field.
LSU has struggled to create consistency on the offensive end. A different Lady Tiger has led the team in been led in scoring in each of its four games.
Sophomore guard Raigyne Moncrief is the only LSU player averaging more than 10 points per game, with 11.3 points per game.
Part of the Lady Tigers’ offensive inefficiency stems from their inability to make easy shots.
Against Tulane, LSU missed seven layups and went 9-for-17 from the free throw line.
“Layups and free throws are definitely about your focus and putting the ball in the hole,” Caldwell said. “Offensively, we’ve got to be more diligent in our efforts to score the basketball. We’ve got to be able to make wide-open jump shots. We’ve got to make layups and we have to make free throws.”
As a team this season, the Lady Tigers have shot just 65 percent from the free throw line.
Despite leading LSU with 16 points against Tulane, junior guard Akilah Bethel’s aims to improve her free throw shooting. On the season, Bethel has shot 45.5 percent from behind the line.
“Free throws are a must because they will cost us in close games,” Bethel said. “We don’t want that to be a limiting factors in whether we win or lose.”
Despite their inability to convert on the offensive end, the Lady Tigers have held their opponents to 52.5 points per game.
LSU will be challenged against a Rutgers (2-0) squad that has posted an average of 75 points per game.
The Scarlet Knights are led by sophomore guard Tyler Sacife, who averages 19 points per game.
The Lady Tigers have excelled in creating turnovers, averaging 14 steals per game and forcing an average of 23.5 turnovers per game.
“Defensively, we’ve put out a great effort,” Caldwell said. “We’ve done a nice job of disrupting people offensively. We’ve done a nice job of really extending our defense and forcing turnovers.