PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – The LSU women’s basketball team makes its first road trip of the 2014-15 season as the Lady Tigers take on Santa Clara, UTEP and Kansas State during the Hardwood Tournament of Hope over the next three days.
LSU’s matchups with Santa Clara and UTEP on Tuesday and Wednesday will tipoff at 2:30 p.m. CT, while the Lady Tigers meet Kansas State on Thursday at 5 p.m.
All three games will be carried by the LSU Sports Radio Network 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.
The Lady Tigers (2-3) completed their five-game homestand over an eight-day stretch and battled No. 22 Rutgers to a 64-57 decision last time out. Through five games, LSU is averaging 55.8 points per game and holding its opponents to 54.8 points per game.
“I want our players to enjoy the opportunity to play in Mexico, and I want them to enjoy the opportunity to play three quality opponents,” head coach Nikki Caldwell said. “We have to realize why we’re here. We’re here to grow as a team, and we’re here to compete at a high level. When it’s time for us to get down to business, we have to be 100 percent focused at the task at hand. This team has an opportunity to represent LSU in a very competitive way. We’re going to accept that challenge. We’re going to go out and play these games with tremendous effort and tremendous cohesion.”
Raigyne Moncrief has amassed a team-leading 10.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. She has reached double figures in three of five games.
On the interior, Akilah Bethel has contributed a balanced 8.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. She has buried a team-leading 54.8 percent of her field goal attempts and racked up a season’s best 15 points versus Tulane.
Ann Jones has added 5.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game over her five starts. She garnered her first career double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds during the Jackson State game. Sheila Boykin has picked up 4.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. She hauled in a career-high 11 rebounds against No. 22 Rutgers.
LSU’s freshmen post duo of Stephanie Amichia has provided 4.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, while Alliyah Fareo has garnered 0.4 points and 1.8 points per game.
Off the bench, DaShawn Harden has notched a team-leading 8.0 points and 2.4 steals per game. She ripped off 15 points aided by a quartet of three-pointers versus No. 22 Rutgers. Jenna Deemer and Jasmine Rhodes have chipped in 4.8 points and 2.2 points per game, respectively.
Over her five starts, Anne Pedersen has collected 5.6 points and 1.8 assists per game. Rina Hill has tacked on 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per game.
“The keys for our team defensively is to have a lot of intensity,” Caldwell said. “We have to be committed to disrupting the ballhandler. We have to be committed to our fullcourt pressure, and we have to rebound out of it. We’re looking at film and watching play action that we’ve done on the defensive end. We’ve done a lot of great things. Offensively, there are a couple of areas of concern. We have to make layups and free throws. More importantly, we’ve have to be able to knock down the open jump shot and play with an inside-outside attack. That will give us a better opportunity to win.”
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.