Rarely is LSU women’s basketball coach Van Chancellor at a loss for words.But when the Lady Tigers’ Hall of Fame coach was asked what his team would try to improve during LSU’s two week break from game competition, Chancellor had a simple answer.”How many pieces of paper do you have to write this down?” Chancellor said with a smile. “You can write anything … because there isn’t anything that we don’t need to work on.”The main point of emphasis for the Lady Tigers during the break will likely be correcting the offensive inconsistencies that have plagued the team this season.Chancellor said dealing with the youth of this year’s team is unlike any other challenge he has ever faced in his career.”In my age and time in coaching, I thought I’d experienced everything,” Chancellor said. “I’ve coached everything you can coach except junior college basketball … And I thought I was ready for everything, but this season proves one thing, and that’s that an old dog can learn new tricks every day.”LSU has had many high points this season, including the team opening first-half leads against ranked opponents Notre Dame and Xavier.But the Lady Tigers have also had an equal number of low points, including losses against Middle Tennessee State and the first half of Monday’s win against Texas Southern when LSU held just a six-point lead.”There’s no excuse for the way we played,” said freshman point guard Destini Hughes following Monday’s game. “We weren’t playing with much intensity or effort. We knew we were playing bad and had to pick it up in the second half.”The Lady Tigers did pick up their intensity level in the second half to secure a 31-point win, the best half the team has played all season according to Chancellor.”That second half is where we have to be,” he said.LSU’s best half may have come at the right time as the Lady Tigers’ schedule will begin to toughen up during the winter break.The Lady Tigers will play away from the PMAC for the first time this season Dec. 20 against Centenary and will play outside of the state for the first time on Jan. 3 to take on No. 1 Connecticut.LSU also will open conference play on the road Jan. 8 against Arkansas.Junior guard Allison Hightower said playing tough competition before the stretch run of the season will aid the young Lady Tigers in conference play.”It definitely helps,” she said. “As long as we get better every day, that’s all we can do. It’s definitely going to help us in the long run.”But for the time being, LSU is preparing for the next time they take the floor Dec. 15 against Louisiana Tech.Chancellor said even with two full weeks to prepare for the Lady Techsters, his primary focus is on the Lady Tigers.”About the only thing I know about [Louisiana Tech] is that they have a team,” he said. “We are more concentrated on our team getting better.”—-Contact Casey Gisclair at [email protected]