STORRS, Conn. — Sophomore guard Adrienne Webb had her first double-double with a career-high 18 points and 10 rebounds and the LSU women’s basketball team responded with its best offensive output of the young season to defeat Lehigh, 74-63, in the opening game of the World Vision Challenge at Gampel Pavilion.
The Lady Tigers (3-3) shot a season-high 48.2 percent from the floor and got considerable contributions from their bench, outscoring Lehigh 36-12 in that category. LSU was 14-of-26 in the second half offensively and fired in 7-of-15 from three-point range the entire game.
“We held on against a scrappy Lehigh team,” said LSU head coach Van Chancellor. “Our offensive numbers were outstanding. Adrienne Webb was unbelievable. Our bench was dominant. I thought Swayze Black and Courtney Jones did a great job. Lehigh really spread us out defensively. They shot the three-ball well and we couldn’t defend it.”
The Mountain Hawks (1-4), an NCAA Tournament team a year ago from the Patriot League, stayed within striking distance for most of the game courtesy of 8-of-17 from 3-point range and a 48 percent shooting second half.
LSU junior forward Courtney Jones was dominant off the bench with a season-high 16 points on 8-of-10 from the floor in 25 minutes. Katherine Graham delivered her third straight double-figure game with 12 points and four assists, while freshman Jeanne Kenney had nine points all in the first half. Swayze Black had six points during a crucial stretch in the second period.
Lehigh trimmed a 39-28 halftime lead to three points midway through the second stanza. Kristen Dalton drained a three and Courtney Dentler converted a lay-up to make it a 46-43 contest with 12:56 left in the game.
Jones and Graham then sparked a 9-2 LSU run with back-to-back layups. Black put in one of her own off an offensive rebound – one of 10 for the Lady Tigers on the day. However, the Mountain Hawks once again pulled to within four points culminating with Dentler’s two free throws with 4:54 remaining.
LSU seized the game with an 8-0 run in the final 3:33. Graham and Destini Hughes each buried a pair of free throws to give the Lady Tigers their largest advantage, 74-60, with 28 seconds left.
Dentler scored a game-high 20 points and was one of three Lehigh players in double-figures.
Top-ranked Connecticut, riding an 81-game winning streak, plays Howard in the nightcap. LSU gets its shot at Howard at 4 p.m. CST Saturday in its second game of the tournament. It will be carried on the LSU Sports Radio Network on 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge and in the Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net.
“We are playing a very athletic Howard team tomorrow and then have the No. 1 team in the nation on their home floor on Sunday,” said Chancellor. “What a challenge it’s going to be.”