Though its season appeared to be in danger for much of the second half, the LSU women’s basketball team turned it on late, beating San Diego State, 64-56, Sunday in the PMAC and advancing to the NCAA Tournament’s second round against Penn State.
Trailing by as much as seven in the second half, it didn’t look like the Lady Tigers were going to play again in March.
“San Diego State did an unbelievable job of coming here and executing their game plan, exploiting us,” said LSU coach Nikki Caldwell. “But I’m very proud of our team for coming out with a ‘W.'”
Down 47-39 with just more than 10 minutes remaining in the game and the Lady Tigers reeling, sophomore guard Jeanne Kenney turned to the home crowd and urged them to get on their feet.
The fact that Kenney’s cry was easily discernible can attest to the atmosphere in the PMAC, as the home team was watching San Diego State run away with its season.
The crowd took notice. Almost immediately they burst into what may have been the loudest the PMAC has been this season, and the effect was tangible.
The Lady Tigers went on a 10-0 run after the crowd got in it, retook the lead and it was a different game.
“Being around home court is a real big advantage,” Kenney said. “They were our sixth man on the court today.”
The Lady Tigers began to use their size to their advantage late in the game. With San Diego State in foul trouble, LSU began to funnel the ball into the post, either connecting on easy baskets or getting to the charity stripe.
The Lady Tigers’ biggest advantage in the game came from the free throw line, where it connected on 26-of-35 attempts compared to just 7-of-20 by San Diego State.
“It was just concentration,” said Aztecs senior forward Kalena Tutt, who went 2-for-8 from the free throw line. “For most of our team it was the first time going to the NCAA tournament.” LSU senior forward LaSondra Barrett came up big for LSU from the line, hitting 13-of-18, including 11 of her last 12 attempts.
Barrett scored a team-high 17 points in the contest. “I knew we would need free throws toward the end of the game to win,” said Barrett, who leads the conference in both free throw attempts and makes. “I just refocused.”
Defensively, the Lady Tigers kept Aztecs junior guard Courtney Clements in check for the second half after a big first-half performance.
Clements came into the game leading all scorers with a 17.4 points per game average and dropped 14 points on LSU in the first half.
But LSU’s physical defense and foul trouble stymied Clements’ offensive output late in the game, limiting her to just three second-half points.
“They did a good job of being pretty physical in the second half,” Clements said. “They knew where I was at all times on the floor.”
The Long Beach, Calif., native hit two-of-three 3-pointers and a number of short and mid-range jumpers in the first half. While Clements was in the zone, the Lady Tigers fell into a funk, hitting just four of their final 16 shots in the first half.
The win marked a successful return to the tournament for the Lady Tigers and a successful debut for others making their first run at it, including Kenney.
“Being in the NCAA tournament for the first time is definitely a wonderful experience,” Kenney said. “I was excited just for a pin when I walked in the door. … Hopefully we’ll get this win Tuesday and be on our way.”
The Tigers will next compete against Penn State at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the PMAC.
 
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