BATON ROUGE — For the third time in four games, the Lady Tiger basketball team will face a nationally ranked opponent. LSU will take on the 14th-ranked Michigan Wolverines on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Returning from a 12-day layoff for dead week and fall semester finals, the Lady Tigers (4-2) will take the court for the first time since defeating in-state rival Louisiana-Lafayette on Dec. 4, 81-49. LSU will be looking for its first win over a ranked opponent this season after falling to nationally ranked Texas and Purdue earlier in the year.
Unlike LSU, which has played only one road game this season, the Wolverines (8-1) have begun the season as road warriors, playing eight of their first nine games away from Ann Arbor, Mich. Michigan is riding an eight-game winning streak and has not lost since its season opener at Louisiana Tech, including a 1-1 record against ranked opponents.
“This game will be a big challenge for us,” said LSU head coach Sue Gunter. “Michigan comes in here on a hot streak while we are coming off a long layoff for finals. The Wolverines have defeated both Washington, which went to the Elite 8 last season, and defending national champion Notre Dame on the road this season and know what it’s like to play away from home.
“This game, win or lose, will be a big test for our team. Playing three ranked teams in four games during our non-conference schedule will hopefully help us progress as a team as we move closer to the start of conference play in less than a month.”
The Lady Tigers will welcome Temeka Johnson to the lineup for the first time this season. The sophomore did not become academically eligible until the conclusion of the fall semester on Saturday.
A four-time all-state selection, Johnson helped lead Bonnabel High School to the state championship game in 2000. She was also a USA Today honorable mention all-America selection as a senior and named the Most Valuable Player in the Louisiana All-Star game.
“Temeka is an outstanding guard and has worked very hard to become academically eligible in order to play,” said Gunter. “She will provide us with added depth at the point guard position with Kisha James and we are very excited to have her finally join the team.”
The Lady Tigers have four players averaging double-figures this season, led by freshman Scholanda Dorrell with 16 points a game, 10th in the Southeastern Conference. In addition, she leads the team with 19 steals to rank third in the conference.
Dorrell is followed by sophomore Doneeka Hodges with 15 points a game and junior Aiysha Smith with 13.8 points a game. Smith is the only Lady Tiger to score in double-figures in every game this season while also averaging 6.7 rebounds per game.
The Wolverines are led by junior LeeAnn Bies with 17.1 points and eight rebounds a game. The current Big Ten Player of the Week, Bies averaged 22.5 points and 9.5 rebounds a game last week, including a pair of free throws with 10 seconds remaining in the game to defeat Washington in Seattle on Dec. 9.
This is the second ever meeting between the Lady Tigers and Wolverines. LSU defeated Michigan, 67-56 in Baton Rouge on Dec. 11, 1999. Current Lady Tiger Ke-Ke Tardy scored six points with one rebound, while the injured DeTrina White scored 10 points with eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Current Wolverine Alayne Ingram led Michigan in scoring with 19 points.