BATON ROUGE — With as almost as many athletes in street clothes as those in uniform, the LSU women’s basketball team battled to defeat the Ole Miss Lady Rebels, 81-70, on Super Bowl Sunday in the Maravich Assembly Center.
When healthy and eligible, Patty Hanten (broken nose), Kisha James (torn ACL), Wendlyn Jones (torn ACL), Crystal White (transfer), DeTrina White (back injury/stress fractured foot) and Florence Williams (academic non-qualifier) comprise a group of Lady Tiger who could arguably contend for the Southeastern Conference title by themselves. However, all six were on the bench when the Lady Tigers tipped off against the Lady Rebels.
LSU managed to improve to 12-7 overall and 5-3 in SEC play, while Ole Miss fell to 10-12 and 2-7 in league play.
Aiysha Smith scored a career-high 23 points to lead LSU, while Ke-Ke Tardy added a season-high 19. Doneeka and Roneeka Hodges scored 14 and 13, respectively. Ole Miss was led by Amy Kelly who scored 19 points, while Carlette Brown had 16 and Von Kirk had 14.
Despite the lack of depth, LSU started the game by opening a 9-2 lead that included three layups by Smith. The Lady Rebels responded with 3-of-6 treys to get back to within four, 15-11, at the first media timeout with 15:15 to play. LSU had made 7-of-9 shots to start the game.
Ole Miss came out of the timeout and scored the next five points to take the lead before Smith hit another layup at the 13-minute mark. The Lady Rebels then continued to thrive on the long-range jumpers, making its fifth three pointer in nine attempts to take a 19-17 lead.
As LSU cooled from the floor, Ole Miss continued to lead by four, 25-23, before a pair of Ke-Ke Tardy free throws tied the game at the 7:52 mark of the half. The Lady Tigers then used a 6-0 run to go ahead 29-25 with under six minutes to play.
Smith’s sixth layup in eight attempts and then a pair of free throws to up the lead to 34-27 at the four-minute media timeout. Ole Miss again answered with a long three by Kirk and a layup by Tywanna Inmon to tie the game at 34-34 at the 1:55 mark.
LSU led 37-36 at the half.
Ole Miss survived several Lady Tigers runs by hitting 6-of-12 three pointers in the first half.
LSU opened the second half on an 11-4 run to slightly distance themselves from the Lady Rebels, 48-40, and by the media timeout at the 7:43 mark the Lady Tigers had opened up their biggest lead of the game, 65-49.
With 4:21 remaining in the game, the Lady Rebels cut the lead to eight, 65-57, with a 8-0 run that was capped by another trey and a pair of free throws.
When the first of seven Lady Tigers — Scholanda Dorrell — fouled out with just more than three minutes to play, LSU led 68-60.
The Lady Tigers return to action on Thursday, Feb. 7, when nationally ranked Auburn comes to the PMAC.