NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Doneeka Hodges scored 24 points and Seimone Augustus added 20 as the 15th-ranked LSU Lady Tigers basketball team opened the Southeastern Conference Tournament with a 79-66 victory over Ole Miss in the Gaylord Entertainment Center on Friday afternoon.
LSU (23-6), the No. 2 seed in the tournament, used runs of 12-0 and 8-0 to pull away from Ole Miss (17-13), the No. 7 seed, in the first half and never looked back. The Lady Tigers led 43-26 at the half and by as much as 30 in the second half.
The Lady Tigers finished the first half on an 8-0 run and began the second half out scoring the Lady Rebels 19-6. LSU led 62-32 with 11:36 left to play in the game.
“Our kids were ready to play today,” LSU acting head coach Pokey Chatman said. “We carried out the scouting report. It was nothing different than we usually do, we just locked down and did what we were capable of doing.”
Hodges scored 17 of her game-high 24 in the first half on five three pointers, while Augustus had 13 of her 20 in the opening 20 minutes. Temeka Johnson added nine points, 12 assists and six rebounds to the win, LSU’s fourth straight in the SEC Tournament. Augustus grabbed seven boards to go with her point total, while Treynell Clavelle pulled down a career-high nine boards off the bench.
Armintie Price led Ole Miss with 18 points and seven rebounds.
LSU shot 56.3 percent from the floor in the first half and connected on 48.3 percent for the game. The Lady Tigers defense held Ole Miss in check, holding them to 31.2 percent shooting in the game and forcing 14 turnovers, converting them into 21 points.
The Lady Rebels did outrebound LSU 48-45, including grabbing 20 offensive board for 18 second chance points.
LSU, the defending SEC Tournament champions, advanced to the semifinals for the third consecutive year and will play the winner of No. 3 seed Auburn vs. No. 6 seed Vanderbilt (played Friday at 8:30 p.m. CST) on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. CST.