KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — LSU’s 15th-ranked Lady Tigers basketball team will play its final regular season game at second-ranked Tennessee in a pivotal Southeastern Conference game on Sunday at 2 p.m. CST in Thompson-Boling Arena.
LSU (22-5, 10-3 SEC) is in need of a victory to secure the No. 2 seed in next week’s SEC Tournament in Nashville. Tennessee (24-2, 13-0 SEC) has already clinched the regular season title and the top seed in the tournament.
The Lady Tigers ride a two-game win streak into the game and have won four of five overall, including a 85-68 win over Ole Miss in the final home game of the regular season on Thursday. The Lady Vols have won six straight entering the game and are looking for their 34th consecutive regular season conference win. They defeated Arkansas on the road Thursday night.
Seimone Augustus leads LSU. The 6-1 sophomore is averaging 18.7 points per game, including 21.2 in SEC games. She has scored in double figures in 18 straight games, including a game-high 23 in Thursday’s win over Ole Miss.
Seniors Doneeka Hodges and Temeka Johnson, each playing in their final regular season game for LSU, are averaging 14.5 and 12.8 points per game, respectively. Johnson is also leading the SEC and third in the nation in assists with 7.9 per outing.
Junior Shyra Ely leads Tennessee. The 6-2 forward is averaging 14.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, while Shanna Zolman is scoring 12.3 points per contest.
This will be the 38th meeting between the two schools. Tennessee leads the series 30-7, but LSU has won two of the last three meetings, including a 78-62 victory in the championship game of the 2003 SEC Tournament. The Lady Vols also hold a 15-0 advantage in games played in Knoxville.
Following the game LSU, which has a first-round bye, will travel to the SEC Tournament and await its opponent for the second round. The Lady Tigers, who will be either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed, will play at either 2:30 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. CST on Friday.
PROBABLE STARTERS
UT (24-2, 13-0 SEC)
G 5 Shanna Zolman 5-10 So. 12.3 ppg 2.7 rpg 94.5 FT%
G 3 Tasha Butts 5-11 Sr. 10.2 ppg 4.9 rpg 2.8 apg
C 33 Ashley Robinson 6-5 Sr. 8.5 ppg 5.7 rpg 1.9 bpg
F 4 LaToya Davis 6-0 Sr. 3.5 ppg 2.5 rpg 1.7 apg
F 43 Shyra Ely 6-2 Jr. 14.5 ppg 8.1 rpg 46.7 FG%
LSU (22-5, 10-3 SEC)
G 2 Temeka Johnson 5-3 Sr. 12.8 ppg 7.9 apg 5.1 rpg
G 45 Doneeka Hodges 5-9 Sr. 14.5 ppg 4.0 rpg 3.4 apg
G 33 Seimone Augustus 6-1 So. 18.7 ppg 6.2 rpg 90.8 FT%
F 42 Hanna Biernacka 6-1 Fr. 4.6 ppg 3.7 rpg 80.8 FT%
F 32 Wendlyn Jones 6-1 So. 7.5 ppg 5.3 rpg 53.8 FG%