STARKVILLE, Miss. — LSU’s top-ranked Lady Tigers basketball team used solid defense and a 29-0 run in the first half for a decisive 67-40 victory over Mississippi State on Sunday afternoon in Humphrey Coliseum.
LSU (21-1, 8-0 SEC) trailed Mississippi State (14-8, 3-6 SEC) 9-8 with 13:57 left in the first half, but the Lady Tigers responded by holding the Lady Bulldogs scoreless for the remainder of the half and ended the half on a 29-0 run to lead 37-9 at the break.
“Defense is something that we have been able to hang our hats on and to hold any opponent to nine points on the road speaks volumes from our kids,” LSU head coach Pokey Chatman said. “But, I was not extremely pleased with how we followed it up in the second half.”
LSU, which held MSU to just 13.8 percent shooting in the first half, saw the Lady Bulldogs outscore them 31-30 in the second 20 minutes and shoot 41.7 percent in the half.
The Lady Tigers’ run in the first half was started by a fast break with Temeka Johnson finding Seimone Augustus for a layup at the 11 minute mark. Johnson’s assist, her 817th of her career, gave the senior the all-time assist record in the Southeastern Conference. She finished the game with four assists, while Augustus ended the game with a team-high 18 points.
In addition to Augustus’ 18 points, Sylvia Fowles added 12 points and nine rebounds off the bench. Scholonda Hoston had eight points and Wendlyn Jones collected six points and nine rebounds.
Tan White led MSU with 20 points, but was held to just two in the first half by a solid defensive effort from Hoston. White went 1-11 from the floor in the first half and finished shooting 6-23.
LSU shot 42.2 percent from the floor in the game, including 55.2 percent in the first half. The Lady Tigers also outrebounded MSU 45-35.
The Lady Tigers, tied for first-place in the SEC with Tennessee at 8-0, host the Lady Vols on Thursday at 6 p.m. CST in the Maravich Center.
GAME NOTES
- Temeka Johnson’s first assist, coming on a pass to Seimone Augustus who hit a layup with 11:00 left in the first half, gave the senior guard the career assist record in the Southeastern Conference. Johnson finished the game with four assists for 820 in her career.
- Seimone Augustus reached double figures in points for the 48th straight time and the 83rd time in her 91 career games.
- Sylvia Fowles scored in double figures in points for the seventh straight game.