OXFORD, Miss. ? LSU’s fifth-ranked women’s basketball team takes its 10-game win streak to Ole Miss on Thursday for a Southeastern Conference battle at 7 p.m. CST in Tad Smith Coliseum.
The Lady Tigers (15-1, 1-0 SEC) has not lost a game since Nov. 21 at Baylor and are coming off a pair of come-from-behind wins, including a thriller on Sunday over No. 15 Georgia.
LSU trailed by 14 points in the first half and by five at the break against the Lady Bulldogs, but rallied back and pulled off the 57-55 victory.
Sylvia Fowles led the way with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Quianna Chaney added 15 points and Allison Hightower had a career-high 12 points.
Ole Miss (13-4, 2-0 SEC) has won four straight games, including conference wins at Auburn and over No. 11 Vanderbilt at home on Sunday.
The Rebels handed the Commodores just their second loss of the season, 76-66.
All five starters for Ole Miss scored in double figures in the win led by Armintie Price with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Thursday’s game pits the SEC’s top scoring offense in Ole Miss (82.1 ppg) against LSU’s league leading defense (43.6 ppg).
“Ole Miss is aggressive and in your face with all out intensity,” LSU head coach Pokey Chatman said. “They are also excellent defensively and force a lot of turnovers and they have always been good on the offensive boards.”
The Rebels lead the league in steals per game with 13.6 and in rebounds with 47.5.
“Our game goals are to take care of the basketball and to play good defense and block out. There is not a defense for second chance opportunities,” Chatman said. “Those key areas will go along way. The third thing is to defend without fouling and not send them to the free throw line.”
Fowles leads the Lady Tigers into the game. The 6-6 junior center has averaged 17.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game and has posted a double double in three straight games.
Chaney is next on the squad with 11.3 points per game, while Erica White has scored 8.5 points and dished out 4.3 assists per game.
Price leads Ole Miss with 19.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per contest.
LSU leads the series with the Rebels, 21-18 and has won 11 straight meetings. Ole Miss holds a 10-8 edge in games played in Oxford, but LSU has won four straight in Tad Smith Coliseum.
Last year, LSU defeated Ole Miss twice, a 78-63 win in Baton Rouge and a 91-73 victory in the SEC Tournament.
The Lady Tigers will remain in Mississippi following the game and travel to Starkville to face Mississippi State on Sunday at 2 p.m. CST.