LEXINGTON, Ky. — LSU junior guard Andrea Kelly made her first career start a memorable one on Sunday. Kelly tied a career high with 15 points and buried critical back-to-back 3-pointers in the final six minutes, and the LSU women’s basketball team held on to defeat Kentucky, 59-56, in front of 5,027 fans at Memorial Coliseum.
The Lady Tigers (10-7, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) snapped a two-game losing streak and beat Kentucky for the 15th straight time dating back to 2000.
Junior guard Allison Hightower led LSU with 18 points, and freshman forward LaSondra Barrett chipped in 14 points. Senior forward Kristen Morris came off the bench and provided her best game of the season with eight points and a season-high 10 boards.
LSU had only made one 3-pointer in its four previous SEC games entering Sunday’s play, but Kelly drained a career-high five from beyond the arc against the Wildcats, who fell to 12-8 overall and 2-3 in SEC play. LSU’s perimeter defense held UK to 1-of-15 from 3-point land and 39.6 percent from the entire field.
“This was a terrific win for us,” LSU head coach Van Chancellor said. “Kristen Morris was unbelievable. Andrea Kelly was at the point today, and she had 15 points, five 3-pointers and no turnovers. She stepped up and gave us a boost today. We only turned the ball over seven times today to their 13. That is LSU basketball right there.”
LSU increased a four-point halftime lead to seven points in the first three minutes of the second period culminating with a Hightower runner through the lane at the 17:13 mark. The 32-25 lead quickly evaporated as UK went on an 8-0 run to take its first lead since the 13:46 point of the first half.
The Wildcats, who were 0-for-6 from 3-point land in the first 20 minutes, connected for their first when Amani Franklin converted a good look from the right wing with 14:52 to go that put UK in front 33-32.
LSU battled back and used the inspiring play of Kelly and Morris to take control. Morris made a layup on an assist from Barrett and later got fouled on a successful tip-in to put the Lady Tigers back in front at 46-43 with 7:44 to play.
Kelly knocked down consecutive 3-pointers highlighted by a clutch baseline look with 4:42 on the clock that equaled LSU’s largest lead, 52-45. Hightower made four free throws in the final two minutes, including a pair that made it a 59-56 LSU advantage with seven seconds left in the game.
Kentucky had a chance to tie the game and send it into overtime, but Amber Smith’s 3-point attempt bounced off the front rim to preserve the LSU victory.
UK’s Eleia Roddy led all scorers with 22 points and nine rebounds. Forward Victoria Dunlap finished with a double-double on 11 boards and 10 points.
The Lady Tigers led by as many as seven points on two occasions in the first stanza. Kelly got LSU on the board with a 3-pointer on the first possession and buried her second trey to put the Lady Tigers in front, 16-11, with 9:45 to go.
Barrett later followed with a mid-range jumper on an assist from Hightower that increased the advantage to 19-13. Kelly’s third from beyond the arc gave LSU its biggest lead, 24-17, with 5:04 remaining.
However, the Wildcats trimmed the lead to four points into the locker room on the play of center Eleia Roddy. Dunlap grabbed nine rebounds in the first half and limited LSU to few second-chance opportunities. Roddy had 10 of her 12 first-half points in the final eight minutes of the period, including six straight in the paint to close the half.
The Lady Tigers end a two-game road trip at South Carolina on Thursday. Tip-time from the Colonial Center is 6 p.m. CST.