DALLAS — The LSU women’s basketball team seeks to rebound from two losses last weekend in the Virgin Islands as the Lady Tigers continue their three-game road swing Tuesday at Southern Methodist.
Tip-off in Moody Coliseum is set for 7 p.m., and the game can be heard in Baton Rouge on WTGE-107.3 FM. The game will also be broadcast on the Internet at www.LSUsports.net.
LSU (2-3), ranked No. 10 last week, fell to No. 17 Southwest Missouri State, 85-75, and to No. 9 Penn State, 86-52, in the Paradise Jam Classic in St. Thomas, V.I.
This week’s Associated Press rankings are scheduled to be released at 5:30 p.m. Monday.
SMU (2-1) hasn’t played since Nov. 21, when the Lady Mustangs defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 62-57. SMU also has a win over Florida A&M (79-65) and a loss to Stephen F. Austin (62-69).
LSU leads the all-time series with SMU, 5-2, including a 73-56 victory last season in Baton Rouge. Tuesday’s game marks LSU’s fifth road contest in six starts.
The Lady Tigers’ next game, after a 12-day break for final exams, is a home contest on Dec. 10 versus Tulane.
Head coach Sue Gunter will attempt to capture her 350th LSU career victory Tuesday night. Gunter, a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, has a 349-189 record (.649) in 19 seasons at LSU and a 615-276 (.690) overall mark in 37 collegiate seasons.
LSU is expected to start 5-9 senior Marie Ferdinand (20.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg), 5-7 sophomore Kisha James (8.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and 5-9 freshman Doneeka Hodges (8.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg) at the guards, and 5-11 senior April Brown (9.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and 5-11 freshman Roneeka Hodges (10.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg) at the forwards.
The Lady Tigers have been devastated by injuries, as LSU had only eight healthy players available for the Penn State game. Sophomore forward Ke-Ke Tardy is questionable for the SMU game with a thigh injury, and junior center DeTrina White has yet to play this season due to a back ailment.
SMU, under 10th-year head coach Rhonda Rompola, is scheduled to start 5-10 senior D-dra Rucker (16.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg), 5-11 sophomore Kenni Patton (5.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and 5-6 sophomore Vanita Krouch (2.3 ppg, 0.3 rpg) at the guards, 6-2 senior Katie Remke.
The Lady Mustangs are the defending WAC champions, as they posted a 22-9 overall record last season, 12-2 in conference play.
SMU advanced to the second round of the 2000 NCAA Tournament before losing to Old Dominion.