MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State used an 11-2 run to close out the game and Amber Holt scored 41 points in a 67-56 victory over the eighth-ranked LSU women’s basketball team on Friday night in the Murphy Center.
LSU (9-3) trailed 42-32 with 11:44 left in the second half, but used an 18-7 run to claw back and tie the game at 49-49 with 5:48 left. The Lady Tigers then retook the lead, 54-53, after a Quianna Chaney three-pointer, but MTSU (7-5) rattled off an 8-0 run to reclaim the lead and ended the game with the 11-2 run.
Holt became just the second player to score at least 40 points against the Lady Tigers. The senior forward poured in 41 points for the Blue Raiders on 15-26 shooting from the field and 11-12 from the free throw line.
No other player for the Blue Raiders scored more than eight points.
“I give Middle Tennessee a lot of credit,” LSU head coach Van Chancellor said. “Rick Insell has done a great job with this program. They did a great job tonight, but I also don’t think LSU was ready to play.”
LSU, playing with out senior All-American Sylvia Fowles, was led by Allison Hightower‘s 13 points, while Chaney added 11 points and Marian Whitfield scored a career-high 10 points and grabbed a career-best six boards.
MTSU led 25-22 at the break after neither team had more than a four point lead in the first half. LSU jumped out to a 4-0 lead to open the game, while the Blue Raiders’ largest lead of the first half, three points, was the difference at the break.
The Blue Raiders shot 38.9 percent from the floor in the game and hit a season-high 22-29 from the free throw line. LSU shot 37.7 percent from the floor, but outrebounded the Blue Raiders, 39-38.
LSU committed 21 turnovers that led to 24 MTSU points, while the Lady Tigers forced 17 turnovers and had 12 steals.
LSU returns home to host New Orleans on Sunday for a 2 p.m. CST tip in the Maravich Center.
GAME NOTES
Sylvia Fowles had her consecutive starts streak snapped at 84 straight games after missing tonight’s game following arthroscopic surgery on her right knee.
Allison Hightower started tonight for the second time this season.
Hightower scored in double figures for the 11th time of her career and the sixth time this season with her 13 points tonight.
Marian Whitfield scored a career-high 10 points and grabbed a career-best six rebounds.
Quianna Chaney scored in double figures for the 48th time of her career with her 11 tonight.