AUBURN, Ala. – LSU’s 14th-ranked Lady Tigers basketball team fell 68-50 to the 19th-ranked Auburn Tigers in Southeastern Conference action on Sunday afternoon in Beard- Eaves Memorial Coliseum.
Auburn (18-5, 6-3 SEC) led throughout the entire game, including holding as much as a 20-point lead late in the second half and a 33-21 lead at the half. LSU (18-4, 6-2 SEC) did manage to cut the lead to 53-45 with 5:54 left in the game, but Auburn went on a 12-0 run to pull away and hold on for the victory.
“It boils down to execution,” LSU associate coach Pokey Chatman said. “Auburn did and LSU did not. I have to credit Auburn, but I was not surprised in how well they played.”
The Auburn defense held LSU to 30.0 percent shooting from the floor in the game, while Marita Payne blocked 10 shots. Auburn shot 43.1 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Lady Tigers 52-34, including Payne’s 15 to lead all players.
Seimone Augustus led LSU with 17 points, including going five for five from the free throw line to extend her school-record consecutive free throws made to 38. Doneeka Hodges added 11 points for the Lady Tigers.
Natasha Brackett led Auburn with 22 points, while Le’Coe Willingham had 16 points and nine boards.
LSU, which moved into a tie for second-place with Florida in the SEC, will host Arkansas on Thursday at 7 p.m. CST in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.