AUBURN, Ala. — LSU’s ninth-ranked women’s basketball team scored early and often on their way to a sixth straight win, 79-59, at No. 25 Auburn on Thursday night in Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum.
The Lady Tigers (15-3, 4-0 SEC) jumped out to an early 7-0 lead and led 18-4 six minutes into the game. LSU has now not trailed in five straight games.
The six-game win streak is the longest of the season.
LSU led 42-21 at the break and the largest lead of 28 came with 13:43 left in the game. Auburn (13-6, 1-3 SEC) did manage to cut the lead back down to 18 on two occasions, including with 1:37 left in the game.
“Tonight we started out red hot again,” LSU head coach Van Chancellor said. “We opened the game with a lot of energy. We ran our offense well tonight. We ran the break well and it is hard to believe we were up 28 points on the road at the 25th-ranked team in the country.”
Quianna Chaney scored 12 points in the opening half, including nine of LSU’s the first 13 points on three 3-pointers. The senior finished with 21 points on 7-9 shooting and 6-8 from long range. Chaney added a career-high eight assists.
Sylvia Fowles led the way with a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Erica White scored 15 points and dished out five assists.
LSU shot over 50 percent from the floor for the fourth straight game, hitting 30-55 shots.
Defensively, LSU shut down DeWanna Bonner, Auburn’s leading scorer. Bonner entered the game averaging over 17 points a game and scored a season-low five points on two of nine shooting.
The Lady Tigers’ defense also forced 16 turnovers, collected 12 steals and scored 22 points off of the Auburn turnovers.
Both teams grabbed 30 rebounds. Fowles led LSU with 10, while Bonner grabbed 10 for Auburn.
LSU visits Kentucky on Sunday for a 1:30 p.m. CST tip off in Rupp Arena.
GAME NOTES
– Quianna Chaney scored in double figures for the 15th game this season and the 54th game of her career with 21 points tonight. The double figure game also marks the ninth straight game for Chaney. Her 21 points marks the eighth 20-plus point game of her career and the fourth of the season.
– Sylvia Fowles scored in double figures for the 16th game this season and the 106th game of her career with 22 points tonight. Fowles reached the 20-point plateau for the 31st time of her career and the fourth time this season.
– Erica White scored in double figures for the third game this season and the 22nd game of her career with 15 points tonight.
– Quianna Chaney dished out a career-high eight assists tonight.
– Quianna Chaney made a career-best six three-pointers in tonight’s game. Her previous high was five on two occasions.
– Sylvia Fowles collected the 71st double double of her career with 22 points and 10 rebounds tonight.
– LSU’s victory tonight is the program’s 699th.
– LSU has not trailed in a game since it was 2-0 New Orleans 0:20 into the game on Dec. 30, a span of five-plus games.