OXFORD, Miss. — Sophomore Temeka Johnson topped her school record with 15 assists as the Lady Tiger basketball team dominated SEC-rival Ole Miss in a convincing 88-57 victory on the road in Oxford, Miss. on Thursday night.
The Lady Tigers led the entire game and improve to 9-6 overall and 2-2 in the SEC while Ole Miss falls to 9-8 overall and 1-3 in the SEC. LSU returns to Baton Rouge to take on Arkansas on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
“We just came out and executed very well,” said LSU head coach Sue Gunter. “We played with a lot of heart and executed our game plan. We have been on a roll the last few games and I am very pleased with the way we played tonight. It was very big for us to come away with a convincing SEC win on the road.”
Just one week after tying the 25-year-old school record with 14 assists against Florida, Johnson topped the feat with 15 assists against Ole Miss. The 15 assists ranks third in the nation in a single game. In addition, she had a career-high seven rebounds to go along with nine points.
Also having career-high nights were sophomores Doneeka and Roneeka Hodges with 23 and 21 points respectively, marking the first time this season that two players have recorded over 20 points in a game. Junior Aiysha Smith added 18 points and 10 points for the game?s only double-double.
The Lady Rebels were led by Shaundra Jackson with 16 points off the bench. and Tashondrea Moton with 13 points.
Roneeka Hodges was hot for the Lady Tigers to start the game, hitting LSU?s first three shots from the field, but the Lady Tigers could not build a lead of more than five points until midway through the first half.
With 11:44 remaining, LSU went on a 16-7 run to build the lead to 10 points, capped off by a pair of threes by Doneeka Hodges.
Ole Miss cut into that lead on a pair of three-pointers by Carletta Brown, but LSU responded immediately. With 1:19 remaining in the first half, Roneeka Hodges gave the Lady Tigers their largest lead of the game on a driving layup that ran the score to 43-26.
LSU led 45-32 at the half. Smith led the way for the Lady Tigers with 14 first half points, followed by Roneeka Hodges with 12 and Doneeka Hodges with 10 points.
Just minutes into the second half, Roneeka Hodges tied her career-high in dramatic fashion, nailing her 17th point on a three pointer from the left baseline to give the Lady Tigers a 50-35 lead. She broke later broke her career high at 16:34 off the assist by Johnson, to run the lead to 58-41.
LSU took its largest lead of the night, 67-47, on a layup by Doneeka Hodges after Roneeka Hodges stole the Lady Rebel inbounds pass and drove the length of the court.
With 8:50 remaining, the Lady Tigers extended that lead to 23 points on a transition layup by Ke-Ke Tardy after the Hodges twins broke the Ole Miss full-court press.
Johnson dished out her school-record 15th assists on a layup by Smith after once again breaking the Lady Rebel press and LSU took the 76-54 lead.
The Lady Tigers rolled the rest of the way, scoring the final 10 points of the game as Ole Miss did not make a shot from the field over the final 7:48 of the game.