BATON ROUGE — A near record breaking offensive performance and solid defense led LSU’s third-ranked women’s basketball team to a 99-35 victory over North Carolina A&T on Sunday afternoon in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
LSU (11-0) shot 69.9 percent from the floor, the second-highest shooting percentage in school history. The Lady Tigers connected on 39 of 56 shots to narrowly miss the record of 70.0 percent set against Alabama on Jan. 4, 1978.
On the defensive side, LSU held North Carolina A&T (0-10) to 19.3 percent shooting and forced 22 turnovers while collecting 12 steals.
“We did a good job of achieving some of the individual game goals and team goals that we set for ourselves,” LSU head coach Pokey Chatman said. “We got better as a basketball team today.”
Five players scored in double figures for LSU with Quianna Chaney leading the way with a career-high 19. Kristen Morris (15), Ashley Thomas (13) and RaShonta LeBlanc (10) also reached career-highs in points, while Seimone Augustus added 13 to extend her streak to 73 straight double figure scoring games.
Morris shot a perfect 7-7 from the floor, Augustus was 6-6 and LeBlanc connected on all four of her field goal attempts.
Shareka Glover scored 10 points to lead the Aggies.
NCAT scored the opening bucket of the game before LSU rattled off 28 of the next 30 points scored, including a 21-0 run to pull away for good. The Aggies trailed 51-14 at the break after LSU shot 80.8 percent from the floor in the opening half, missing just five shots, while NCAT made only five shots.
The 64-point victory for the Lady Tigers marks the fourth highest margin of victory in school history.
LSU will return to Southeastern Conference action on Wednesday when they travel to Auburn to face the Tigers at 8 p.m. CST in Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum.
North Carolina A&T vs LSU
01/01/06 1 p.m. at Baton Rouge, La. (Maravich Center)
At Baton Rouge, La. (Maravich Center)
LSU 99, NORTH CAROLINA A&T 35
NORTH CAROLINA A&T (0-10)
GLOVER, Shareka 4-15 0-0 10; CHRISTOPHER, Emilee 2-5 3-5 7; JOHNSON, Bianca 1-14 4-6 6; WILLIAMS, Ahmad 1-7 2-2 4; WILLIAMS, LaKeisha 1-6 0-0 3; TILLMAN, Kira 1-4 1-2 3; KING, Ryann 1-1 0-0 2; WILLIAMS, Tiffany 0-1 0-0 0; BROOKS, Kyeisha 0-1 0-0 0; GRADY, Tiffaney 0-1 0-0 0; GIBSON, Melea 0-0 0-0 0; PEARSON, Timika 0-2 0-0 0; HOUGH, Krystal 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 11-57 10-15 35.
LSU (11-0)
CHANEY, Quianna 7-15 2-2 19; MORRIS, Kristen 7-7 1-3 15; THOMAS, Ashley 4-6 5-5 13; AUGUSTUS, Seimone 6-6 1-2 13; LeBLANC, RaShonta 4-4 2-2 10; HOSTON, Scholanda 4-5 0-0 9; WHITE, Erica 1-1 5-6 7; FOWLES, Sylvia 3-5 0-1 6; WILLIAMS, Florence 2-3 1-2 5; WHITFIELD, Marian 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 39-56 17-23 99.
North Carolina A&T………… 14 21 – 35
LSU……………………… 51 48 – 99
3-point goals-North Carolina A&T 3-15 (GLOVER, Shareka 2-8; WILLIAMS, LaKeisha 1-3; JOHNSON, Bianca 0-1; TILLMAN, Kira 0-1; CHRISTOPHER, Emilee 0-2), LSU 4-8 (CHANEY, Quianna 3-6; HOSTON, Scholanda 1-2). Fouled out–North Carolina A&T-None, LSU-None. Rebounds-North Carolina A&T 24 (JOHNSON, Bianca 5), LSU 43 (THOMAS, Ashley 8). Assists-North Carolina A&T 6 (GLOVER, Shareka 3), LSU 26 (LeBLANC, RaShonta 8). Total fouls-North Carolina A&T 20, LSU 11. A-3646
GAME NOTES
– LSU’s 64-point margin of victory is the fourth largest in school history and the second most this season. The Lady Tigers defeated Southern by 68 points on Nov. 22, 2005.
– Five LSU players scored in double figures for the first time since the Southern game on Nov. 22, 2005.
– LSU’s field goal percentage of 69.6 percent was the second highest in school history and the highest since 70.0 percent against Alabama on Jan. 4, 1978.
– Seimone Augustus scored in double figures for the 73 consecutive games.
– LSU extended its’ home court winning streak to 22 straight games.
– LSU has now won 32 straight non-conference home games.
LSU vs. North Carolina A&T
January 1, 2006
LSU HEAD COACH POKEY CHATMAN
Opening Statement…
“So often we talk about it being 90 percent about yourself and 10 percent about your opponent just because you’re more familiar with yourself. I thought overall we did a good job of achieving some of the individual game goals and team goals that we set for ourselves. I thought we got better as a basketball team today. We made the comment to the team that every opportunity you step on the floor you’re going to have the opportunity to get better or get worse. I thought in several areas we got better today from the standpoint of players that don’t play a lot of minutes got a lot of minutes and different combinations with some starters getting to rest and there not being a drop off. All of that is good stuff.”
On the play of the bench…
“You look at the percentages, and you look at a Kristen Morris going 7-for-7. That’s an indication of good offensive execution. You’re reversing the basketball, attacking the gaps, making two people guard one and a post player step up. Players like Kristen were just a beneficiary of good offensive execution. That’s what it’s all about. We always talk about team defense, but it’s also about team offense.”
LSU PLAYER QUOTES
RaShonta LeBlanc
On the team’s mindset going into the game…
“The mindset was we have to play this game like every other game. We have to play every game like we are playing for a championship.”
Quianna Chaney
On the role of the bench players …
“Being able to step up just in case someone in the starting five is in foul trouble or gets hurt, it’s our role to be able to step up and take their place.”
NORTH CAROLINA A&T HEAD COACH PATRICIA CAGE-BIBBS
“I have a lot of respect for Coach (Pokey Chatman). She’s done a great job. They are very athletic and no one comes in here and wins. We knew turnovers were going to happen because we have freshmen out there. That is what freshmen do and we have so many of them. I know we will get better. I wish her (Pokey) well. They have a great team that is going to go a long way.”