After a slow start to the season and Southeastern Conference play, the LSU women’s basketball team has changed its course with recent quality wins.
With back-to-back victories against top-15 opponents, LSU (10-8, 4-2 SEC) is in position to turn its season around and attempt a run at the NCAA
Tournament.
The Lady Tigers began SEC play with a win at Florida but suffered deflating losses to No. 1 South Carolina and then-No. 9 Texas A&M the following week.
Since then, they defeated then-No. 15 Mississippi State on its home court, where the Bulldogs had not lost all season. The Lady Tigers returned home to defeat then-No. 10 Kentucky and play their best offensive game of the season, scoring 84 points.
LSU coach Nikki Caldwell said she believes her team has turned the corner with a new level of optimism.
“This team has now started to believe,” Caldwell said. “We were okay with playing with South Carolina and playing with Texas A&M. When you finally turn the switch in your favor and you come out with a victory against an SEC opponent at Mississippi State, which is a hard place to play, it was hostile. They believe now.”
It’s no coincidence that the return of junior guard Danielle Ballard has made an instant change for the Lady Tigers. Her career-high 25-point performance against Kentucky was
instrumental in LSU’s upset.
Since returning from her indefinite suspension on Jan. 8, LSU has gone 3-1 with Ballard coming off the bench. She is averaging more than 14 points in her first four games of the season, and Caldwell said she is capable of taking LSU to the next level.
“Ballard is an All-American,” Caldwell said. She’s one of the best guards in the country. She has the ability to make other
people around her very good. When she does that and when she’s up there with five, six, seven assists, other people are going to shine. We talk about that, and we talk about the fact that there are times when Danielle does need to take over.”
Ballard has scored more than 20 points in the back-to-back games against ranked teams, leading the Lady Tigers in scoring on their way to the two
upsets.
Her efficiency has been a welcomed addition to the team’s offense, as she is shooting 43 percent from the field for a team that was shooting less than 40 percent without her.
Ballard said watching from the sideline for months had an effect on her and she is ready to make up for the lost time.
“It was tough not being out there, but I knew my team had it,” Ballard said. “We just fell short a couple of times. I was already ready, being a leader off the court and trying to cheer my team on. I knew once I get back, they would have my back no matter if I was playing good or bad. We are all playing as a team.”
When LSU travels to Knoxville, Tennessee, to face No. 5 Tennessee on Thursday, the Lady Tigers will face their fifth ranked opponent in six games. LSU’s tough schedule will continue for the rest of the season, and it is scheduled to face three more ranked opponents after its matchup against Tennessee.
Senior forward Sheila Boykin said the team will continue to emphasize teamwork to build upon its recent successes and believes Ballard will play a large role.
“Danielle is that aggressive offensive guard that we need,” Boykin said. “And especially on the defensive end, she makes things happen by getting on the boards. It makes other guards wanting to do the same thing, and we are feeding off of
that energy.”
You can reach Stanton Vignes on Twitter @stanvignes_TDR.