Looks like the LSU women’s basketball team knows how to bounce back after a tough loss.
LSU (10-1) limited Southeastern Louisiana (6-6) to 23.1 percent shooting and forced 22 turnovers en route to a 72-27 win on Tuesday in the PMAC right before Christmas.The win came two days after the No. 11 Lady Tigers’ first loss of the season, a 74-63 decision to Nebraska.
“I think everybody took it personally,” LSU sophomore forward LaSondra Barrett said of the Nebraska game. “Even when we come back it’s still going to be in our minds, the Nebraska game, because it’s a game that if we could get back, we wish we could.”
Senior guard Hightower led the way for LSU offensively with 16 points in only 17 minutes of play. Barrett added her first double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes.
Hightower powered LSU to a quick 6-0 lead on the strength of back-to-back 3-point shots. She nailed two free throws about 40 seconds later to push the advantage to 8-0.
LSU ran its lead to 17-0 after more than seven minutes of play until Southeastern Louisiana finally scored on a jumper by senior guard Kim Edmonson.
“We know how important the first five minutes are,” Hightower said. “We just wanted to start out aggressive and be patient on offense. Those shots just came in the offense.”
LSU also scored 12 points in the paint, 14 off turnovers and 11 from its bench players in the first half, including six points from freshman guard Adrienne Webb in a pair of 3-pointers. The Madison, Ala., native finished with 11 points in 22 minutes of action.
But the offense wasn’t all pretty for the Lady Tigers in the first half. LSU shot 32.4 percent from the field in the first frame, making only 11-of-34 shots.
But Southeastern Louisiana was even worse on offense in the first half.
The Lady Lions only made 5-of-28 shots in the first half — including 1-of-13 from 3-point range — for a 17.9 percent first-half percentage.
Two of those shots were made in the final two minutes of the half, including the lone 3-pointer. LSU led, 35-11, at the half after leading by at least 20 points with 5:30 left in the first frame.
“I am embarrassed at the performance of my team tonight,” said Southeastern Louisiana coach Lori Davis Jones. “LSU had something to do with that because they’re athletic and pretty tough defensively, but I’d have liked to see a better effort on our part. Now it’s Christmas. Merry Christmas.”
LSU opened the second half on a 13-3 run thanks in part to five points by Hightower and four points by Barrett, respectively, in the run. The Lady Tigers quickly pushed their lead to 30 points with 17:43 left in the game and led by at least 40 for the final six minutes.
Southeastern Louisiana didn’t attempt a single free throw in the game, marking the first time an LSU opponent didn’t attempt a free throw. The previous low for an LSU opponent was one when LSU beat Louisiana-Lafayette, 85-48, on Jan. 30, 2001.
LSU coach Van Chancellor rested his starters for most of the second half. Barrett, Hightower, sophomore forward Taylor Turnbow, junior guard Katherine Graham and junior guard Latear Eason only played a combined 26 minutes in the frame after each played a combined 65 minutes in the first half.
The Lady Tigers will now get even more rest as they won’t practice again until Dec. 26.The rest will likely be a blessing for LSU, as the Lady Tigers face an upcoming schedule that Chancellor calls “one of the toughest schedules in the history of women’s basketball.”
The Lady Tigers will play three straight road games after Christmas, including their first two Southeastern Conference games of the season, before playing Auburn at home on Jan. 10. LSU will also play Tennessee twice this season as part of its upcoming 16-game SEC slate.
“If I had a Christmas wish, I would love for us to come back with a sense of urgency,” Chancellor said. “Because I don’t want to wake up and have it be too late.”
 
—-Contact Robert Stewart at [email protected]