LSU women’s basketball put on a strong performance Tuesday night, as the Lady Tigers ran away with a 76-44 win over Nicholls State. 
One of the keys to the Lady Tigers’ win was great three-point shooting from sophomore guard Khayla Pointer and senior guard Shanice Norton. Pointer shot 3-of-4 from three, while Norton shot 3-of-5 from behind the arc. Junior guard Latoya Ashman also shot 1-2 form three.
Norton, the only senior on the team, is a very consistent shooter from two-point range, but she has not taken many shots from behind the arc this season. Before the game against Nicholls State, the most three-pointers she had attempted in a game was two.
She finished the game with a career-high 16 points, six rebounds and two assists.
“It’s my teammates honestly,” Norton said. “They just give me the confidence. Since it is my senior year, they tell me I need to do those things. We work on it during practice. We have skill development with the guards. We do those things everyday, so why not put them into the game. My teammates boost me.”
Norton’s teammates took notice to her hot hand and began looking for her off the dribble.
“I know she likes that corner,” Pointer said. “I know she likes to spot up on that wing. I’m coming off the screen like ‘Where’s Shanice?’ She’s a spot up shooter. Usually when she’s open, she knocks them down.”
“Shanice is a player that has been in the gym,” said LSU coach Nikki Fargas. “Whenever you are putting in that time and putting in that work, Eventually it is going to work out for you. Threes are contagious. They were looking for her.”
Pointer was the game’s leading scorer with 19 points. While she shot well from three-point range, she was also 8-13 from the field. She also added five rebounds and four assists.
Junior forward Ayana Mitchell also scored in double-digits, despite the Colonels’ defense zeroing in on her for most of the game. She finished with 10 points and six rebounds.
Defense and ball protection were also keys to LSU’s success against Nicholls State. The Lady Tigers recorded 14 steals and forced 20 turnovers. They also won the rebound battle, totaling 40 to the Colonels’ 25.
The Lady Tigers throughout the season have been plagued by turnovers. LSU has been averaging 17 turnovers a game for the season. Against Nicholls State, they only had 11. Fargas was pleased, saying that 11 is a good number.
“We met our turnover goal,” Fargas said.
Sophomore forward Raven Farley, who has been out with a leg injury, made her return on Tuesday against the Colonels. She checked into the games with a little over three minutes left.
“That’s us trying to get her some minutes and get her back into basketball shape, and getting a feel for playing on the court,” Coach Fargas said. “She’s got a ways to go but slowly but surely she’s going to make her way back.”
LSU next game will be in Lafayette on Thursday as they take on the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns.