Following a quick 8-0 start, the LSU women’s basketball team dropped just one game over the holiday break as Southeastern Conference play began.
After falling at Rutgers Jan. 5, LSU (14-1, 1-0 SEC) regained its wining form with a SEC win at home over Georgia, 76-52. The loss to Rutgers was the first for the Lady Tigers this season.
Coach Pokey Chatman said that while she noticed positive things in the game, the loss was attributed to a lack of execution.
“A lot of good things happened in that game,” Chatman said. “It was unfortunate we were unable to capitalize and pull out the win, but we were better for it.”
The Lady Tigers began the holiday break at then-No. 13 Minnesota in a nationally televised game.
Led by junior Seimone Augustus, the Lady Tigers got out with a 75-67 win. Augustus led the team with 22 points, while senior Temeka Johnson contributed 18 points and 13 rebounds.
“That was the toughest team we’d played to that point,” Augustus said. “It was a plus for us in knowing we can compete with the best as well as defend some of the best players in the country.”
Following two more road wins at UC-Santa Barbara and Texas State, the Lady Tigers returned home to face Tulane.
LSU got a lead early and cruised to an easy 79-45 win in preparing for their final out-of-conference game at Rutgers on Jan. 5.
Rutgers, coming off two upset wins over then-No. 8 Tennessee and then-No. 4 Texas, overcame an early 10 point lead to knock off the Lady Tigers 51-49 in overtime.
Augustus put up 25 points and 10 rebounds in the loss, while senior Wendlyn Jones also pulled down 10 rebounds.
“It let us know we’re beatable,” Augustus said. “We tend to get relaxed, and we can never get relaxed.”
Johnson added that as a top-ranked team, every team will give them their best.
“One thing you don’t want to do when you have the depth and talent we have is to have to learn from a loss,” Johnson said. “We have to realize that the target gets bigger everywhere we go. Everybody is going to bring their ‘A’ game.”
Following the Rutgers game, the Lady Tigers returned home last Saturday for the SEC opener against Georgia.
In front of 10,624 fans at the annual Pack the PMAC event, LSU struck early and cruised to a 76-52 victory for their first SEC win.
Junior Scholanda Hoston scored 17 points while adding four steals in the win.
Despite leaving the game in the second half after suffering a deep bruise on her elbow, Augustus still managed to put up 22 points and eight rebounds.
“We learn something new every day,” Johnson said. “And when Seimone went down, it just shows how talented and deep our team is. When she went down, other people stepped up and we walked away with the victory.”
Johnson put together a double-double in the victory, totaling 12 points and 11 assists.
And with SEC play now in full swing, Chatman said the team has established its identity.
“We’ve established ourselves as a team with a defensive presence,” Chatman said. “You can always transition down to the other side of the floor and lock somebody down on defense.”