Any thoughts that the Lady Tigers would suffer a letdown after defeating 2005 national champion Baylor were quickly erased Thursday night in Fayetteville, Ark.
The Lady Tigers extended their school record 21-game regular season winning streak with a 93-59 victory over the Arkansas Lady’Backs at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.
“Anytime you can go on the road and secure a victory in commanding fashion is a plus,” coach Pokey Chatman said. “I thought we answered the call.”
After connecting on its first five shots of the game, LSU jumped out to an early 10-4 lead. Paced by sophomore Sylvia Fowles’ 16 first-half points, the Lady Tigers shot an efficient 67 percent from the field. They used a 15-0 run to end the first half with a 24-point lead and head into the locker room ahead 47-23.
The Lady’Backs, who were in the midst of a seven minute stretch without points, began to come alive in the second half, making five consecutive 3-point plays.
They scored 15 points in the first four minutes of the second half and cut the 24 point halftime deficit to just 15 with 15:28 left in the game.
“They got so many 3s in a hurry,” Chatman said. “I thought we were about a half step late coming off of screens, and we weren’t contesting shots.”
Whatever the discrepancy was, it did not last long.
The Lady Tigers abruptly answered Arkansas’ five consecutive 3-point shots with six consecutive field goals of their own by senior Seimone Augustus, who finished with 19 points, and forward Ashley Thomas.
Thomas, who missed the majority of last season with a knee injury, started the game and made six consecutive field-goal attempts.
“Ashley has battled back from the knee injury and was inserted in the starting line-up,” Chatman said. “What Ashley has done over the last few weeks is she has got into the gym and worked on her shot over and over every day.”
Thomas finished the game going 7-of-8 with a career-high 17 points and eight rebounds, while Fowles, her frontcourt partner, collected 21 points and 11 rebounds for her 13th double-double of the season.
Sophomore guard RaShonta LeBlanc saw her first game action since twisting an ankle two weeks ago. LeBlanc made two free throws before being pulled after just one minute of action.
“I thought she kind of limped a little bit, and I didn’t want to chance it,” Chatman said. “We’ll give her an extra few days of rehab to strengthen it and have her ready to go a little bit more on Sunday.”
Erica White, who filled in for Leblanc after the injury, dropped 10 points and was one assist shy of becoming the first Lady Tiger to get double-digit assist totals in four straight games.
 
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