Monday’s nationally televised game between LSU and Baylor provided a chance for the stars to shine, both literally and figuratively.
Not only did Lady Tiger All-Americans Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles play lights out basketball, but the fans in attendance, who were given red-flashing stars before the game, also had an All-American like performance in disrupting the Baylor Lady Bears.
“I walked out onto the court and seen the arena filled to the top.” said coach Pokey Chatman. “That student section is tremendous. When you hear and feel the crowd, that’s what galvanizes you to better play.”
The crowd of 9,511 was the ninth largest in the history of the program and the second largest this season, behind the Jan. 7 game against Minnesota.
“I can always tell the energy of the crowd when they come back in the locker room.” Chatman said.
Senior guard Scholanda Hoston, who energized that crowd by hitting two consecutive three-point shots in the second half, also gave the fans some credit for the team’s success last night.
“Our fans are great,” Hoston said after her 14-point performance. “They had so much energy. Some of them were even hoarse after the game, and you can’t ask for anything better than that.”
The excitement had been brewing over this contest since April 3 of last year when a 68-57 loss in the Final Four to the same Baylor squad abruptly ended a 2005 season seemed destined for a national title.
Augustus said that though the team was aware of the loss in last year’s national semi-final game, it was not solely responsible for the intensity they showed Monday night.
“We’re intense every game regardless of what happens prior to it,” Augustus said. “I think we did have a little more motivation, but it wasn’t the key to anything.”
As the Lady Tigers did their pre-game shoot around, the real motivation for this game, the 26 others on this year’s schedule stared them directly in the face.
Sitting under the student section was the women’s college basketball national title trophy. A trophy in which senior Seiomone Augustus and the Lady Tigers have come within a game of earning each of the past two seasons.
“It reminded me of the opportunity that we had the last two year’s, and the opportunity we have to get it this year,” Augustus said. “When you see that crystal ball, it’s just unbelievable, and it’s something that you want to have to take home.”
A big part of taking the title trophy home will be the play of Fowles, who Baylor coach Kim Mulkey-Robinson said is gradually becoming a dominant force on the court.
“I just thought Fowles, wow, what a presence,” Mulkey-Robinson said. “We didn’t know how to guard her. We weren’t big enough, we weren’t strong enough and all you can do is just hope she’s in foul trouble,”
Fowles out-played her 13-point, 12-rebound effort game against Baylor last season by dropping 17 points and grabbing 14 rebounds last night.
After the game, Mulkey-Robinson was eager to move on and look toward the future.
Barring a meeting in the NCAA tournament, Baylor will have to wait until next season to get get another chance to beat LSU.
The Lady Bears will lose three seniors after this season, including first team All-American Sophia Young, but coach Mulkey-Robinson knows one thing will be in her favor in 2007.
“They’ve got to come to Waco next year,” Mulkey Robinson said.
 
Contact Jeff Martin at [email protected]