STANFORD, Calif. — In a game with only three lead changes and much of the game dominated by Louisiana Tech, the LSU Lady Tigers got the lead when it mattered most to win the game, 69-63, Sunday night in Maples Pavillion at Stanford University.
With the win, LSU (30-3) advances to only its third Elite Eight appearance, playing Texas Tuesday at 8 p.m. CST.
“A great effort against an excellent Louisiana Tech team,” LSU head coach Sue Gunter said of the win. “And they did have us on the ropes.”
Gunter said Tech outhustled and outscrapped LSU in the first half, and the score showed the same.
Lousiana Tech (31-3) led the entire first half of the game, only letting LSU tie in the early minutes. The Lady Techsters led by as much as 12 in the first half and took a 33-23 lead into halftime.
In the second half the Lady Techsters led by as much as 17 with 14:31 left in regulation, but that is where their domination ended.
“I don’t like to be down, honestly,” said freshman forward Seimone Augustus. “I just felt we came out sluggish. Somebody needed to do something to pick this team up, so I came out and fired the team up.”
Augustus scored four straight points, which were answered by Tech, before the Lady Tigers went on a 16-0 run that brought the game within one.
LSU outscored Tech, 36-13, during the final 14:19 of the game, starting a 16-0 run at that point on a 3-pointer from senior center Aiysha Smith. LSU’s burst of points brought it within one point with 8:25 left.
The run ended with a two-point shot by Tech’s Trina Frierson with 8:06 left in the second half. Gunter said she felt if LSU could just hang in the game and get a lead, the team would have a little more left than would Tech. And get a lead they did.
LSU’s first lead came with a basket by Doneeka Hodges to put the Lady Tigers up 57-56 at the 5:24 mark. Tech tied at 5:11 with a Cheryl Ford free throw, but then LSU gained the lead for good on a Doneeka Hodges layup at 4:35.
Lady Techster head coach Kurt Budke said Tech’s 25 turnovers were the difference in the ball game.
“You can’t have 25 turnovers and expect to beat a great team like LSU,” Budke said. “I think we defended them as well as probably they’ve been defended all year long. We just turned the ball over a little too much tonight.”
Smith led LSU’s offensive attack with 19 points, while three others produced double digits.
Augustus scored 14, Doneeka Hodges added 11 and DeTrina White finished with 10 points.
Tech outrebounded LSU 40 to 23 in the game, bringing down more defensive rebounds (27) than LSU had altogether.