BATON ROUGE – The LSU women’s basketball team will square off against its first ranked opponent and its first opponent from a Power 5 conference as No. 22 Rutgers visits the Maravich Center on Saturday afternoon for a SEC-Big 10 tilt.
Tip time is slated for 2:02 p.m., and the game will be carried online only by SEC Network Plus via www.WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app. Lynn Rollins and Victor Howell will serve as the announcing team.
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 Tigers, also will be available for Geaux Zone subscribers at www.LSUsports.net/live.
Tickets for Saturday’s game are on-sale at www.LSUtix.net and can be purchased at the Maravich Center Box Office starting as low as $2 with a donation of a canned food product on gameday. The Maravich Center Box Office opens at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.
It’s National Girls & Women in Sports Day where the game will serve to celebrate and encourage young girls to get active and participate in sports. It also will be an opportunity for the Lady Tigers to honor female athletes who have overcame adversity and pushed their barriers. The first 1,000 fans will receive a LSU hairband, and LSU also will play host a Dads and Daughters event after the game. For more information on how to sign up, visit www.LSUsports.net/dadsanddaughters.
Saturday’s game marks the program’s annual Sue Gunter Classic where the Lady Tigers will honor the legacy of the late Coach Gunter who compiled a 442-221 record over her 22 seasons at LSU. She was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005 and the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010.
“This is a small way to show our appreciation for what Coach Gunter has meant to the women’s game,” head coach Nikki Caldwell said. “She has been an incredible inspiration to so many of us. She’s been someone that has led the charge in allowing us to have the media coverage. She’s led the charge in scholarships being available to young women. She’s led the charge in the exposer that she has given the game. We are excited to have Rutgers joining us in this game because, as you know C. Vivian Stringer, she too has been one of those pioneers. I’m excited to be able to be a part of this.”
The Scarlet Knights (2-0) have garnered a pair of home victories over Saint Joseph’s (76-52) and Northeastern (74-60). Rutgers has four players averaging in double figures led by Tyler Sciafe’s 19.0 points per game on 16-of-28 shooting. Briyona Canty has chipped in 14.0 points and 9.0 assists per game, while Betnijah Laney has secured a double-double with 12.0 points and 13.0 rebounds per game. Kahleah Copper has notched 12.0 points per game.
“The Scarlet Knights are explosive in transition,” Caldwell said. “They have guard play that really can make baskets and really create for themselves and their teammates. Their post play is very versatile, and they play with a sense of urgency. This is a very disciplined Rutgers team, a team that understands the demand of playing a high intense defensive game. They are going to extend their pressure full court. They can mix it up in the half court, but it’s going to be a great challenge that we look forward to.”
LSU (2-2) picked up a hard-fought 69-65 victory over Rutgers a season ago where Raigyne Moncrief exploded for a career-high 27 points aided by a 15-for-20 effort at the free throw line. Theresa Plaisance and Shanece McKinney also added 16 and 10 points, respectively, for the Lady Tigers.
Moncrief has come away with a team-leading 11.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. She has reached double figures in three of LSU’s first four games.
LSU’s post game has connected on 48.1 percent of its shots. Akilah Bethel has garnered a balanced 8.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. She has connected on a team-leading 56.0 percent of her field goal attempts and ripped off a season’s best 16 points versus Tulane. Ann Jones has added 6.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
Off the bench, Stephanie Amichia has provided a spark with 4.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game over her 8.5 minutes per contest. Sheila Boykin has collected 3.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, while Alliyah Fareo has garnered 0.5 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.
DaShawn Harden has registered 6.3 points and 3.0 steals per game whereas Jenna Deemer has amassed 5.8 points per game for LSU’s guard play off the bench.
Over her four starts, Anne Pedersen has notched a balanced 5.5 points, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Rina Hill has contributed 2.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game followed by Jasmine Rhodes‘ 1.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.
“I’m looking for us to have daily improvement, and I feel as though we have improved,” Caldwell said. “I feel as though we have done a nice job taking some of the things that have challenged us last week and have been better. We are going to continue to work on that. I’m excited about our group. We are a very young group, and we’ve got some players that haven’t seen action in over a year starting with (Akilah) Bethel and (Ann) Jones being transfers and starting for us now. It’s going to take time, but the future is bright for the Lady Tigers.”
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.