BATON ROUGE – The LSU women’s basketball team used a strong performance from its bench as the Lady Tigers cruised to a 96-35 exhibition victory over Mississippi College Sunday at the Maravich Center.
“This game today was really about the LSU team taking some of the things that we talked about regarding our last game and trying to be better,” head coach Nikki Caldwell said. “I felt like we accomplished that in many different areas. Not only did we defensively do a good job of extending our defense and our full court pressure, but I felt at the half court we did a nice job of getting deflections and steals as well. Offensively when you can look at a stat sheet and you shoot a high percentage not only from the field, but you have a balanced attack from all of your players contributing in some form or fashion. This is definitely a step in the right direction.”
LSU racked up a 55-13 advantage in bench points as four players collected double figures led by Stephanie Amichia, Jenna Deemer and DaShawn Harden. The trio turned in 14 points apiece and combined for a 14-of-19 shooting effort. Deemer dished out three assists, while Harden registered three steals. Jasmine Rhodes also added 13 points and three steals over her 15 minutes off the bench.
LSU’s starting unit was paced by Akilah Bethel who came away with a solid all-around effort of 14 points, six rebounds and five steals. Anne Pedersen chipped in nine points and six assists followed by Rina Hill and Ann Jones who notched eight points each.
“She (Bethel) brings energy,” Caldwell said. “She’s quick, she’s fast, she’s athletic, she’s mobile and she’s deceptive with her speed with the basketball. When she gets a rebound, she’s about as quick as our guards as far as pushing the tempo and getting the ball down the floor. That’s hard to defend. She does a nice job too of creating opportunities for herself to get to the free throw line. She’s done that in both exhibition games. We were stressing to her and challenging her to get in the gym – get those free throws because we need to make more of them. I like her energy on the floor. She’s very quick to the basketball even defensively. We can play her in the top of our press. We can play her in the back of our zone. We can put her in the top of our zone. She’s just such a versatile player.”
As a team, LSU was an efficient 32-of-55 from the floor and connected on 18 of its 27 field goal attempts during the first half. The Lady Tigers handed out 22 assists on their 32 baskets. LSU also canned four of its five three-pointers and were 28-of-41 at the free throw line.
LSU put together two massive runs at the end of each half. The Lady Tigers ripped off 43 of the last 53 points of the opening half. In the second half, LSU closed out the contest with 24 consecutive points over the final eight minutes.
After a Harden free throw broke a 10-10 at the 12:57 mark, Amichia hit a pair of layups sandwiched between Deemer and Harden three-pointers to ignite LSU’s first half flurry. The Lady Tigers went ahead by double figures, 25-15, with 9:03 remaining after another Deemer jumper and a pair of free throws.
LSU continued its avalanche on both sides of the floor and garnered 25 straight points to go ahead by a 50-15 margin with just over a minute left. The Lady Tigers relied on their full court pressure and forced Mississippi College into 25 first-half turnovers.
Amichia and Deemer each registered 10 of their 14 points during the opening half and combined for a flawless 7-for-7 shooting effort.
LSU continued its strong play out of the locker room and built on its lead to the final buzzer. Jones scored all eight of her points during the second half, and the Lady Tigers piled up 24 straight points to wrap up the 61-point triumph.
The Lady Tigers begin the 2014-15 regular season with five home games over an eight-day stretch and face off with Arkansas-Little Rock Friday morning during the program’s annual “Field Trip Game” for East Baton Rouge schools.
Tip time is scheduled for 11:32 a.m., and the game will be carried online only by SEC Network Plus via www.WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app. Lyn Rollins and Victor Howell will serve as the announcing team.
The LSU Sports Radio Network also will broadcast the game on its flagship station Talk 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge and inside at the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net/live. Patrick Wright, the voice of the Lady Tigers, will call the action.
Season tickets are on sale for $75 online at http://www.LSUtix.net/. The LSU Athletics Ticket Office can be reached at (800) 960-8587 or (225) 578-2184 and is located on the first floor of the Moran Family Center for Athletics Administration Building. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
For all of the latest news and information on Lady Tiger basketball, visit www.LSUsports.net/womensbasketball. Fans can also follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/LSUwbkb, @lsuwbkb and @NikkiCaldwell on Twitter, @LSUwbkb and @LSUNikkiCaldwell on Instagram.
LSU Women’s Basketball Postgame Quotes
Mississippi College vs LSU – November 9, 2014
HEAD COACH NIKKI CALDWELL
Opening Statement …
“This game today was really about the LSU team taking some of the things that we talked about regarding our last game and trying to be better. I felt like we accomplished that in many different areas. Not only did we defensively do a good job of extending our defense and our full court pressure, but I felt at the half court we did a nice job of getting deflections and steals as well. Offensively when you can look at a stat sheet and you shoot a high percentage not only from the field, but you have a balanced attack from all of your players contributing in some form or fashion. This is definitely a step in the right direction.”
On Akilah Bethel…
“She brings energy. She’s quick, she’s fast, she’s athletic, she’s mobile and she’s deceptive with her speed with the basketball. When she gets a rebound, she’s about as quick as our guards as far as pushing the tempo and getting the ball down the floor. That’s hard to defend. She does a nice job too of creating opportunities for herself to get to the free throw line. She’s done that in both exhibition games. We were stressing to her and challenging her to get in the gym – get those free throws because we need to make more of them. I like her energy on the floor. She’s very quick to the basketball even defensively. We can play her in the top of our press. We can play her in the back of our zone. We can put her in the top of our zone. She’s just such a versatile player.”
On Akilah Bethel‘s skill set on both sides of the floor …
“In our press, she’s going to probably be in more of those traps because she plays in the front of it. In the back of our zone, she’ll be in a lot of traps too because of where she’s at. Part of our defensive scheme is to trap the basketball and make sure that we’re rotating correctly out of those traps. She has this aggressive attitude anyway. There are times where it may not be in the play, and she goes and it works out. I like her playing aggressively, but I like her playing smart too. I don’t want her to pick up any of those cheap fouls and then she’s sitting on the bench.”
On what Jenna Deemer brings to the offense …
“She brings consistency. You have to know where she’s at all times on the floor. She’s a vital piece of the puzzle when you’re running any kind of offensive action. She brings a level of confidence because she can come in, and we could run play action to her. She knows we’re running this action, and she will nail that first shot. She takes on the responsibility of making baskets for us. She doesn’t just look to shoot over – she knows and feels that it’s going in. That’s a confidence that she gives our team which is pretty remarkable considering that this is only her second game as a Division One basketball player. That’s something that she came with, and we’re just plugging her in when we can get her those opportunities.”
On if the offensive ability was something she saw in the recruiting process with Jenna Deemer …
“Definitely, I didn’t see Deemer as a defensive stopper. I saw her as a smart basketball player. I saw her as somebody that when you’re going to lose Jeanne Keeney, and you’re going to lose a player that really extended the defense. Deemer is that kid. She’s a great student. She’s a kinesiology major, and she is a great ambassador for LSU. Being a (Louisiana) native, that’s another bonus because she gets to play in front of her family and friends. She represents LSU in a very positive way. “
LSU Women’s Basketball Postgame Quotes
Mississippi College vs. LSU – November 9, 2014
LSU PLAYERS
On the contribution from the bench…
“Coach Nikki (Caldwell) tells us all the time, be ready. Those are the two words I always remember. If I’m starting or not starting, you better be ready when you get your name called. You have to be ready to produce whether that’s defensively, offensively – all of the little things. You have to be ready to produce, and I feel like we will do that game in, game out. That’s our responsibility to our coach and to each other as teammates.”
On the team’s defense performance…
“We put a lot of work into it, and I feel like all of that work is paying off. We’re moving as a unit, it’s not this person moving with someone else staggering to get there. Everyone is moving with each other and talking and wanting to have the next person’s back. We’re moving fluidly, and we’re doing what we are supposed to.”
On team communication on the court…
“You have to want it. It has to come from you first. We tell each other all the time ‘talk, talk, talk’ because it’s going to make it easier. I’m not going to lie, I’ve been the quiet one. I get scared, and I don’t want to speak. But when I do speak up, it makes that much of a difference. As soon as you realize that individually, everyone buys into it. It showed today because we worked together from communication.”
On the effectiveness of LSU’s press defense…
“I think we were mostly just moving as a unit. Every time the ball went to one side, we moved and just tried to keep them from getting across half court. I think we just get the momentum. Once we get across half court, we stay in it because we can’t get out of it.”
On developing team chemistry…
“It’s a process, we’re still working at it. Each day in practice we’re going over the plays and defenses. It’s getting better.”