LSU’s women’s basketball team won five straight games to close the regular season.The team then overcame the loss of two starters to beat Mississippi State in the first round of the Southeastern Conference tournament. After losing to Vanderbilt on Saturday, the Lady Tigers returned to practice Wednesday and now await their seed in the NCAA tournament. In the meantime, they are getting back to the basics.Coach Van Chancellor said the team will be working hard in practice to “handle the ball against full-court pressure” and start out games strong.”Six out of our last seven games, it has been amazing what our team has accomplished,” Chancellor said. “What they’ve been able to do is come out and play early, come out really focused, get some leads early and hang onto those leads.”LSU junior guard Andrea Kelly said the coaching staff stressed improving the basics during the team’s time off before the NCAA tournament.”In the SEC tournament, we just got rattled some of the time, and we didn’t do the things we’ve been doing as far as handling the ball and doing the right fundamentals,” Kelly said. “The coaching staff made an effort to make sure we did the fundamentals first — pass, fake, handle the ball and be strong with the ball.”Sophomore guard Katherine Graham said Wednesday’s practice had an intense atmosphere where the team emphasized improving the press offense and communicating on defense.”We need to work on knowing the difference between a shooter and a driver and someone who can do both,” Graham said. “Also stay aggressive and stay in shape and keep [practice] game-like.”Chancellor said LSU will continue to lean on its junior guard Allison Hightower as the big stage of the NCAA tournament nears.”I don’t think there’s any doubt [about that] when your best player is doing her job,” Chancellor said. “We have to do a better job of getting her open.”Hightower’s streak of games scoring in double figures ended at 15 against Vanderbilt when she scored 6 points on 3-of-9 shooting.Hightower said the key to getting open more was “making second cuts” against opposing defenses.”In box and one, anywhere you cut you’re going to be followed by two or three people bumping you, so if you make that second cut, you’re going to be open,” Hightower said. “And the attention I draw opens up other players.”Hightower said the Lady Tigers will also need to solidify their defensive performance, one of LSU’s strengths this season. The team is No. 5 in the country and No. 1 in the SEC in scoring defense.”We have to come back to the fundamentals of closing out, blocking out and doing all the little things we’re known for, diving on the floor and getting our hands on the ball,” Hightower said.But Chancellor said LSU will always be looking for ways to make its defense better.”On defense if we hold somebody to 25 points, we’ll still talk about something we need to improve in,” Chancellor said.LSU has had two days off this week and will take Saturday and Sunday off as well. NCAA tournament selections are at 6 p.m. Monday.”I definitely think [the time off] is a help,” Hightower said. “The last couple of years, we hit it hard … It also gives us some time to rest our legs a little bit. That’s good for our legs so we can practice as hard as we can and get better.”—-Contact Rachel Whittaker at [email protected]