BATON ROUGE – The LSU women’s basketball team heads into the heart of its five-game stretch over eight days to start the 2014-15 season as Jackson State visits the Maravich Center on Monday.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7:02 p.m., and the game will be carried online only by SEC Network Plus via http://www.watchespn.com/ and the Watch ESPN app. Lyn Rollins and Victor Howell will call the action.
The LSU Sports Radio Network will broadcast the game on its flagship station Talk 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge. The broadcast featuring Patrick Wright, the voice of the Lady Tigers, also will be available for Geaux Zone subscribers at www.LSUsports.net/live.
LSU’s Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes (CCACSA) and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will play host to its “Thanksgiving with the Tigers” event prior to the game. All of LSU’s athletic teams, athletic administration, the L Club, cheerleaders and Mike the Tiger each have adopted an underprivileged child through the Big Buddy program. The children will eat a Thanksgiving meal with their team as well as receive gifts in the spirit of the upcoming holiday season and get the opportunity to be a part of the pregame ball exchange on the court.
Tickets for Monday’s game are on-sale at www.LSUtix.net and can be purchased at the Maravich Center Box Office starting as low as $2 for general admission tickets on gameday. The Maravich Center Box Office opens at 5:30 p.m. on Monday.
Through two games, LSU is averaging 62.5 points per game and connected on 38.5 percent of its field goals. The Lady Tigers also have outrebounded their opponent by a plus 13 margin and posted 10.0 steals per game.
LSU bounced back with a 71-45 victory over Sam Houston State after the Lady Tigers dropped their season opener versus Arkansas-Little Rock. All 11 players who saw action for LSU scored a point and grabbed a rebound during the Sam Houston State win. LSU’s defense forced 24 turnovers against the Bearkats and scored 20 of the game’s 30 points off of turovers.
“The turnovers that we were forcing and being able to convert – that’s what gives you energy,” head coach Nikki Caldwell said. “That allows you to get that momentum, to get those runs and to be able to separate yourself. You look at this team, and we aren’t a team that is going to go out and just blow somebody out. But we can be that team that can wear them out because we are playing everybody on our roster. We’ll eventually pick our spots and be able to really separate ourselves.”
Raigyne Moncrief, an All-SEC Freshman team performer last season, has registered a team-leading 13.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. A major part of Moncrief’s success has been her ability to get to the free throw line where she is 11-of-15.
Jenna Deemer and Stephanie Amichia have sparked LSU’s bench play where the Lady Tigers have collected 56 total points over their first two games. Deemer has pumped in 23 of those points and drained nine of her 14 field goal attempts, while Amichia has tallied a balanced 4.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
On the interior, Ann Jones has chipped in 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and Akilah Bethel has secured 5.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Sheila Boykin has notched 4.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. Alliyah Fareo has picked up 1.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
Rina Hill has garnered 5.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game over her two starts as LSU’s point guard. The Lady Tigers also have received 4.0 points per game from Anne Pedersen followed by 3.5 points per game from DaShawn Harden and Jasmine Rhodes.
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.