By Ryan Rogers
LSUsports.net
BATON ROUGE — After trailing by as many as 18 points in the first half, LSU made a completed a first-half turnaround to soundly defeat Kentucky, 87-64, on Thursday night in the Maravich Assembly Center.
“It was obvious that we were not ready to play (to open the game) and it was almost like a transformation to get ourselves back into the game,” said LSU head coach Sue Gunter, who picked up her 625th career victory. “We talk a lot about having the proper respect for your opponent, and you must be ready to play because on any given night anyone in this conference can beat anyone else.”
Sophomore forward Ke-Ke Tardy gave a gutsy performance to propel the Lady Tigers, as she had career highs of 20 points and nine rebounds. Marie Ferdinand gave another solid performance scoring 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting. The two combined for 16-of-22 shooting on the night.
The Lady Tigers scored 43 points off of 29 Lady Wildcat turnovers, matching a season high for turnovers forced. LSU had a season-high 17 steals including three by Ferdinand, April Brown and Doneeka Hodges.
LSU (12-5, 3-2 SEC) shot 53.8 percent from the field (35-of-65), while Kentucky (4-12, 0-5 SEC) shot 26-of-53 from the field for 49.1 percent, its third-best outing of the season and nearly nine percent over its season average of 40.7 percent.
After coming back from a 28-10 deficit with 10:43 remaining the tie the game at 42-42 at halftime, LSU began the second half on a 27-4 run including a 19-0 run starting with a layup by Ferdinand on a fast break at the 16:13 mark. Kentucky finally ended the scoreless drought with a basket by Shambrica Jones at the 8:42 mark. LSU led 71-48.
“I don’t think it is a conscious thing that our kids were just not ready to play,” Gunter said. “Our feet were not moving and we could not get back into transition. We gave up 42 points in the first half, and, at the 10-minute mark of the second half we had given up only four.”
Brown showed off her skills with a spin circle dribble to avoid a steal and a no-look pass inside to James for an easy lay-in. LSU led, 79-52, with 5:57 remaining in the game.
James scored 16 points in 22 minutes, while playing for the first time without a knee brace since tearing the ACL that sidelined her for all of 1999-2000.
The Lady Tiger defense allowed Kentucky to find numerous open shots early on. The Lady Wildcats penetrated the lane and were successful in the transition game giving them an early lead.
After Kentucky had an early 5-4 lead, the Wildcats went on a 19-4 run.
Dasieka Hawthorne hit her second three pointer of the night followed by a quick transition basket by Adams and Kentucky jumped all over LSU with a 24-8 lead with 12:11 remaining in the first half.
Hawthorne found Rita Adams open underneath and she gave the Wildcats a 28-10 lead with 10:43.
Back-to-back baskets inside by April Brown and Ke-Ke Tardy cut the lead to 28-14 Kentucky.
Trailing 30-16, James came into the game off the bench and sunk a pivotal three-pointer which gave LSU some rhythm. Moments later she hit a jumpshot and LSU trailed 30-21 with 6:49 remaining in the game.
James continued to provide a spark for the Lady Tigers as she stole a Alvine mending pass and scored a tough lay-up. LSU trailed Kentucky 38-29 with 3:34 left in the first half.
Tardy hit 3-of-4 free throws and LSU cut the lead to four, 40-36, with 1:49 remaining in he first half. Tardy converted a three-point play moments later and LSU came all the way back to cut the Kentucky lead to 40-39 with 1:26 left in the first half. Kentucky led by as many as 18 points in the first half.
The Lady Tigers tied the game at 42-42 after Ferdinand scored a three-point-play. It capped off a 28-12 run to close out the first half. The teams went into the locker room even, 42-42.
LSU returns to action on Sunday, Jan. 21, when it travels to Oxford, Miss., to have the Ole Miss Lady Rebels. Ole Miss defeated Alabama, 65-57, in Tuscaloosa on Thursday night to improve to 12-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play.
LSU vs. Kentucky
Jan. 18, 2001
Maravich Assembly Center
LSU Game Notes
- In the absence of LSU forward DeTrina White, who missed her seventh game of the season with a back injury, the Lady Tigers used their seventh different starting lineup in 17 games this season. Freshman Doneeka Hodges earned the third start of her young career. LSU’s Marie Ferdinand continued consecutive starts streak at 79 games.
- Ferdinand’s first steal at the 6:13 mark of the first half was the 200th of her career, making her only the third player in school history to amass more than 1,300 points, 400 rebounds, 300 assists and 200 steals. The others are Katrina Hibbert (1,695-594-467-254) and Joyce Walker (2,906-598-429-326).
- Ferdinand scored in double figures for the 21st-straight game dating back to March 17, 2000. She has scored in double figures in 41 of her past 44 career games as a Lady Tiger.
- LSU trailed by as much as 18 in the first half (28-10 at the 10:43) before tying the game on a three-point play by Ferdinand with 4.1 seconds left to play in the half. The 18-point comeback surpasses the 16-point deficit against Purdue for the largest of the season.
- LSU went on a 27-4 run to open the second half, including a 19-0 run over a 7:31 stretch ending at the 8:42 mark.
- Ke-Ke Tardy eclipsed her career highs with 20 points and nine rebounds. Her previous highs were 19 points versus UNC-Ashville on Nov. 23, 1999, and seven rebounds versus five different teams.
- Playing without a knee brace for the first time since returning from a torn ACL which kept her out of the 1999-2000 season, Kisha James scored
- The Tigers’ 88 points was its most productive since scoring 94 against Delaware State on Dec. 28, 2000. This was also the highest against an SEC opponent since winning 88-73 on Dec. 1, 1998, in Columbia, S.C.