FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — LSU head coach Sue Gunter joined college basketball’s elite when she picked up her 600th career victory Thursday night as her 17th-ranked Lady Tigers rallied for an 82-69 victory over Arkansas.
With less than four minutes to go, the LSU trailed Arkansas, 69-68. However, LSU outscored Arkansas 14-0 to end the game.
The loss drops the Lady Razorbacks to 9-5 on the year and 0-2 in Southeastern Conference play while lifting LSU to 12-3 and 3-1 in the SEC.
“I’m just glad to have this 600th win and have it over with,” LSU head coach Sue Gunter said following the contest. “I was more worried about getting win number 12 for the season and win number three in SEC play than 600. The game has been very gracious to me, and I’m very thankful for what the game has given me.”
The play of LSU’s DeTrina White gave Arkansas fits the entire night and led the Tigers to victory. Hitting 12 of 14 from the floor and scoring 27 points, she also led all rebounders with 12 boards, some of them right out of the hands of Lady Razorbacks, she dominated the low post nearly every one of her 37 minutes played.
“Detrina White would not be denied on the boards tonight,” Gunter said. “She was the difference early, but our game plan was to focus on LSU and focus on transition basketball.
“Sometimes it’s not about your size but about your positioning on the floor,” UA head coach Gary Blair said. “Give White credit because she worked extremely hard on the inside.”
Arkansas trailed almost the entire game, but managed to take a one-point lead, 67-66, with 4:32 to play on a Brandi Whitehead layup. LSU responded with a White free throw to tie the game and launch a 14-point run to end any chance for Arkansas.
The night started poorly for the Lady Razorbacks. After winning the opening tip, they were immediately called for a backcourt violation when an Arkansas forward passed the ball behind the time line. LSU took immediate control and rattled off the first eight points of the contest as the Lady’Backs struggled to get an open shot.
“They got all the right plays and right shots to open the game,” Blair said. “I thought we were ready to play, but we didn’t show it early.”
Freshman Dana Cherry started the scoring for the Lady Razorbacks at 17:32 when she hit a 12-foot jumper from the left side of the goal. The Cherry bucket allowed Arkansas to start a small run of their own that brought them within five at 12-7, but the Tigers once again found their range as they opened up a 10 point advantage by the midway point in the first half.
The Tigers crashed the boards, hurting the Lady Razorbacks with 29 second chance points for the game, and out rebounded Arkansas 38-35, 18 of the boards on the offensive glass.
“I think the biggest celebration was for us out rebounding somebody,” Gunter said.
A determined Arkansas squad chipped away at the LSU lead. An Amy Wright steal followed by a Willits bomb from the corner got the Lady’Backs to eight where they stayed for several minutes trading baskets at either end of the floor.
A Cherry layup for the Lady Razorbacks in the closing moments brought Arkansas as close as they had come since the first two minutes of the game as the first half ended with a score of 39-33, LSU.
Arkansas opened the second half with the same tenacity that they ended the first with and came all the way back to within one at the 15:49 mark.
After Willits hit another three, her fourth of the contest, LSU scored four unanswered to once again gain a somewhat comfortable lead. The Lady Razorbacks again got within one possession of the Tigers, but another LSU run gave them their second double digit lead of the game.
Fighting back again from a 10-plus point deficit, Arkansas was once again lifted by the tandem of Willits and Cherry who gave the Lady Razorbacks another chance when Willits hit yet another three from the top of the key to bring Arkansas back within three.
The Lady Razorbacks got a huge lift at the five minute mark when India Lewis caught the three point bug after grabbing a rebound on the defensive end.
Lewis brought the ball up court and stopped just shy of the three point arc and hit her first three of the night to pull the Lady’Backs within one. After another missed LSU shot, Lewis lobbed a pass into Brandi Whitehead who hit a short jumper at 4:32 to give Arkansas its first lead of the night at 67-66.
A back and forth battle ensued for the next two minutes with the lead changing four times before LSU again righted the ship with 2:00 left.
Regaining control of the paint, LSU scored 12 unanswered to end the game and cap off the win.
LSU will hit the road again for its next contest, another Southeastern Conference game, against the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington, Ky., Thursday.