By Ryan Rogers
LSUsports.net
BATON ROUGE — Behind a 21-6 run to open the second half, the ninth-ranked LSU women’s basketball team won its 17th straight home game, 61-54, over the Arkansas Lady’Backs, here in the Maravich Assebmly Center on Thursday night.
The Lady Tigers improved to 11-4 on the season and 2-1 in the Southeastern Conference, while Arkansas fell to 9-6 overall and 0-3 in SEC play.
Senior Marie Ferdinand put forth yet another impressive perfrmance for the Lady Tigers, scoring 21 points with four steals, four assist and five rebounds. April Brown scored 15 points and Ke-Ke Tardy added 11.
Leading scorers for Arkansas were Wendi Willits with 13 points and Shaneeka Christon with 11 points.
With 1:11 left in the game, senior April Brown swooshed a three-pointer to give LSU a 57-54 lead and cap the come-from-behind victory.
Ferdinand then iced the game with her fourth steal of the game, which she turned into a transition basket giving LSU a 59-54 lead with 21 seconds remaining. The steal moved Ferdinand ahead of Cornelia Gayden into fifth place all-time on the LSU career steals record list with 197.
The Lady Tigers opened up the second half by outscoring Arkansas, 21-6, in the first 9:37 to take a 47-40 lead. Arkansas then came steaming back. A three-pointer by Shanna Harmon pulled Arkansas within one point, 49-48, with 5:55 remaining in the game. A basket by Joy Oakley gave the Lady’Backs the lead once again at the 4:15 mark.
Ferdinand stole the ball away from Wright and took it down the court for an easy lay-up to give LSU a 51-50 lead with 3:04 remaining in the game. After a Lady’Back basket, Tardy hit a free throw to tie the game at 52-52 with 2:10 remaining.
Ferdinand made two free throws with 1:52 remaining in the game to give LSU a 54-52 lead, before Oakley scored Arkansas’ final points with a jumpshot and the game was tied at 54-54.
Arkansas went on a 12-5 run to end the first half and took a 34-26 lead into the lockerroom. The Lady Tigers battled turnover woes as they gave up the ball 14 times in the half.
LSU’s next action will be Sunday against No. 4 Georgia (14-2, 2-0 SEC) in the Maravich Assembly Center at 2 p.m. Georgia also came from behind on Thursday night, defeating No. 11 Florida at home, 72-59.