Emotions will run high when the No. 11-seeded LSU women’s basketball team takes the court against No. 6-seeded South Florida at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in Tampa, Florida, in its fourth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Lady Tigers (17-13, 10-6 Southeastern Conference) hit the road for the first time in the first round since 2009-10. After hosting the first and second rounds for the past three years, LSU will depend on the leadership of its experienced guards and disruptive defense to silence the crowd.
“We’re used to playing in hostile environments,” said LSU coach Nikki Caldwell. “We understand what that means for the home team, having been a team that has hosted first- and second-round play. When it’s all said and done, players make plays.”
Sophomore guard Raigyne Moncrief, senior guard DaShawn Harden and junior guard Danielle Ballard lead the Lady Tigers, fueling LSU’s rally through SEC play after a rough start in its nonconference schedule.
From the start, Moncrief spearheaded LSU’s offense with her speed in the open court and her ability to create possessions by forcing turnovers. She leads the Lady Tigers with 60 steals this season.
The Florida native enters the tournament with extra motivation to perform in front of her family and determination after tearing her ACL in the Lady Tigers’ first-round matchup against Georgia Tech last season.
“It’s just exciting to play in front of [my family],” Moncrief said. “It also allows me to go harder for them because they are the reason why I am really playing this game.”
Harden comes into the tournament with a hot hand after scoring more than 19 points in two of her last three games, including a career-high 28 points on Senior Day against No. 21 Texas A&M on March 1.
Harden energized the Lady Tigers from behind the 3-point line. She leads LSU in treys made and 3-point attempts this season.
Since returning from a 14-game suspension to start the season, Ballard leads LSU with 14.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game and is the Lady Tigers’ go-to option late in the games.
Ballard is the key to LSU’s four wins against ranked opponent this season. In those wins, she averaged 22.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game and shot a 49.3 percent clip.
Ballard excelled in LSU’s tournament games last season, averaging 23.3 points and 14 rebounds per game.
“Danielle Ballard will be our go-to player because she’s been there all along,” Caldwell said. “The weight of the team isn’t just on her shoulders. We’re going to have a more-balanced attack as we continue our season.”
The Lady Tigers must get back to their defensive trademark — forcing turnovers — to shut down one of the most dynamic guard-forward duos in the nation.
South Florida’s junior guard Courtney Williams leads the Bulls (26-7, 15-3 American Athletic Conference) with 20.2 points per game. She earned a team-high 106 assists.
“[Williams is] so explosive,” Caldwell said. “You cannot take everything away from her because she’s also great at transition. … She’s someone who you’re going to have to limit her touches and have an awareness of where she’s at all times.”
While Williams leads South Florida in points per game, junior forward Alisia Jenkins is the Bulls’ leading rebounder, with 11.6 boards per game. She has posted 23 double-doubles this season.
The Lady Tigers’ pressure defense made an average of 20.5 turnovers per game, including 9.2 steals. LSU limited opponents to an average of 60.1 points per game and a 39.7 shooting percentage from the field.
“You can’t have those moments where we are spectating, and we miss coverage and break down defensively,” Caldwell said. “When our defense is working like a unit, we obviously have shown and proven that we can disrupt some of the biggest and toughest offensive players in the country.”
You can reach Morgan Prewitt on Twitter @kmprewitt_TDR.