EAST LANSING, Mich. — Quianna Chaney scored a career-high 24 points and Sylvia Fowles had 21 points and 14 rebounds to lead LSU’s No. 7 women’s basketball team to a 65-50 victory over No. 17 Michigan State at the Breslin Center on Sunday afternoon.
The Lady Tigers (11-1) jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first minute of the game on two of Chaney’s four three-pointers in the game and Michigan State (7-2) would not get any closer the rest of the way.
LSU built as much as a 20 point lead with two minutes left to play in the first half, but the Spartans scored nine points in 54 seconds to close out the half and trailed 34-23 at the break.
MSU then scored the first two points of the second half to cut the lead to seven, but would not get any closer the rest of the game as the Lady Tigers held off a late second half surge.
“We knew this was going to be a hard fought battle,” LSU head coach Pokey Chatman said. “Our kids answered the call during all of Michigan State’s runs. We know it was going to take 40 minutes of basketball and that is exactly what it took.”
Fowles reached the 41st double double of her career in the first half with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Chaney had 15 of her 24 in the opening 20 minutes.
Erica White added eight points, all in the second half, and five assists and Ashley Thomas had seven points and eight rebounds.
LSU shot 36.9 percent from the floor in the game, but connected on 45.5 percent from three-point range, including Chaney’s 4-7 from long range.
MSU shot 32.2 percent from the floor, including just 26.5 percent in the first half.
Each team grabbed 43 rebounds.
Victoria Lucas-Perry led the Spartans with 18 points and Allyssa DeHaan added 10 points and 11 rebounds.
LSU will host McNeese State on Wednesday at 2 p.m. CST in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
GAMES NOTES
– Sylvia Fowles recorded the 41st double double of her career with 21 points and 14 rebounds.
– Fowles moved into 17th-place on LSU’s career scoring list during the game, passing DeTrina White.
– Fowles also moved past DeTrina White into seventh-place on LSU’s career rebound list during the game.
– Fowles reached the 20-point plateau for the 18th time of her career.
– Quianna Chaney poured in a career-high 24 points.
– LSU has now won 27 straight games in the month of December.