The LSU women’s basketball team will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks tonight in a rematch of the Lady Tigers largest defeat this season.
The first game of the season series, a 72-52 Razorbacks (19-5, 8-4 Southeastern Conference) win on Jan. 22 at the PMAC, came a game after LSU (17-8, 7-5 SEC) lost two key players to injury.
Senior guard Destini Hughes suffered a season-ending knee injury in a 65-56 loss at Tennessee. Early in the same contest, junior guard Jeanne Kenney sustained a concussion, ultimately causing her to miss the Lady Tigers’ next two games.
“We had no true point guard, nor was our backup point guard there,” said LSU coach Nikki Caldwell.
Lacking an experienced ball handler, the Lady Tigers committed 27 turnovers, leading to 29 Arkansas points.
“The turnovers really cost us early in allowing them to get transition baskets, get the momentum going, them feeling very energized on the defensive end,” Caldwell said. “I expect us to have matured since our last outing against Arkansas. We’re a different team.”
The Lady Tigers have won three SEC contests in a row to battle back into the thick of things after losing five straight conference games.
Caldwell said senior forward LaSondra Barrett stepped into a leadership role in LSU’s last three games and established herself as a go-to player.
“We’ve been creative in playing her high to bring her low,” Caldwell said. “That puts her back in her power game.”
Barrett scored her season- high 21 points in the Lady Tigers’ Feb. 12 victory against Alabama.
The Lady Tigers’ roster will receive a boost tonight with the return of freshman forward Krystal Forthan, who has missed the last three games with an ankle injury.
“I’m fine right now,” Forthan said. “I’ve been running, jumping. I’ll be able to get up and down the court.”
Forthan said LSU will “come with an attitude” and try to avenge the Lady Tigers’ 20-point defeat earlier in the season.
Caldwell said Forthan’s return will benefit LSU, especially on the defensive end.
“It’s good to have someone who can rebound the basketball for us,” Caldwell said.
The Lady Tigers are tied with Vanderbilt for sixth place in the SEC standings, just one game out of third place. If LSU gains ground in the standings, they will earn a higher seed in the SEC tournament.
“Every win from here on out is critical,” Caldwell said. “That’s just a testimony to how tough the SEC is and how competitive it is, that you have a block of us that are really going after that bye in the first round of SEC play.”
 
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