BATON ROUGE — Freshman guard Adrienne Webb poured in a career-high 17 points ? 15 in the second half ? and the seventh-ranked LSU women’s basketball team rolled to a 72-54 victory over Houston on Saturday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The Lady Tigers improved to 3-0 for the fifth time in the past six seasons and the second time in three seasons under head coach Van Chancellor. Houston (3-1) suffered its first loss of the year after opening the season with wins against Gardner-Webb, UT-Arlington and Oregon State.
Webb finished 7-of-11 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range. She scored on three straight LSU possessions in the second half, including a pair of 3-pointers.
Junior guard Katherine Graham recorded her first career double-double with 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Senior guard Allison Hightower was one of four LSU players in double-figures with 16 points, while sophomore forward Taylor Turnbow had 12 points and nine rebounds.
“I’m really thankful that we were able to win today,” Chancellor said. “I thought Katherine Graham and Adrienne Webb played outstanding for us. Graham had a double-double. I thought she was everywhere on defense, and it’s good to see a freshman shoot the ball. It was good to let Allison Hightower get some time off. All in all, it’s a pretty good day.”
LSU shot 40.6 percent (28-of-69) for the game and held Houston to 37.5 percent (21-of-56). The Lady Tigers dominated the boards, 50-35, and scored 20 points off of turnovers.
With the score tied at 12 in the first half, Turnbow scored on three straight possessions as part of an 8-0 LSU run that put the Lady Tigers in front 20-12 with 7:33 on the clock. Brittney Scott’s 3-pointer drew Houston within five but the Lady Tigers took a 31-22 lead into the locker room.
The lead grew to 15 in the first three minutes of the half as Graham nailed a jumper and a layup and Hightower fired in a runner through the lane during a 12-2 run. LSU put the game out of a reach with an 11-3 run midway through the period.
“We went into halftime and had a little discussion of the minds, mostly me discussing,” Chancellor said. “We came out and played really well in that little spurt. We just had to pick up our defensive intensity. We struggled to keep from fouling them.”
Webb knocked down a 3-pointer with 6:45 remaining and followed with another on the ensuing possession that put the Lady Tigers ahead 64-39. Webb’s jumper at the 5:15 mark then gave LSU its largest lead, 66-39, with 5:15 to play. LaSondra Barrett made two free throws for the final margin.
LSU plays its second game in as many days when they host Nicholls State at 7:30 p.m. CST Sunday in the Maravich Center. The LSU volleyball team plays earlier that day.