Baton Rouge, La. — With junior guard Raigyne Moncrief absent due to a knee injury, Jenna Deemer and Ann Jones stepped up big for the LSU women’s basketball team as the Lady Tigers defeated Long Beach State 59-53 Saturday afternoon in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
With the win, the Lady Tigers (3-1) earned their third consecutive win to open the season, second home win and took a 3-2 all-time series lead against LBSU. Moncrief missed her first game since sitting out the last two NCAA Tournament games as a freshman because of a knee injury.
“It was a good team win for us,” said head coach Nikki Fargas. “I felt as though our team made plays down the stretch that we needed to against a very good Long Beach State team. We did what we needed to do on the defensive end by holding our opponent to 53 points. That’s always our goal to keep a team in the low 50s and preferably the 40s. This is definitely a quality win for our basketball team.”
In the fourth quarter, the game remained close. Ann Jones scored six-straight points for the Lady Tigers. The 49ers, however, would not go away. LBSU scored seven points, including a field goal from Anna Kim after a steal, cutting the Lady Tigers’ lead to 50-48.
After an LSU timeout with 6:46 remaining in the game, Anne Pedersen hit a three pointer to give the Lady Tigers a 53-48 lead. LBSU converted a couple of free throws and Madison Montgomery scored a basket for the 49ers to cut the Lady Tigers’ lead to 55-51.
Following another LSU timeout, the Lady Tigers went on a 6-2 run to end the game and seal the victory.
Following a 19-point performance on Wednesday, Deemer led the Lady Tigers in scoring with 17 points for the afternoon. Ann Jones finished with 14 points and eight rebounds. Akilah Bethel led the team in rebounds with nine.
In the first quarter, Alexis Hyder and Deemer combined for the first seven points of the game for the Lady Tigers before LBSU called a timeout with 5:29 remaining in the quarter.
Chanterria Jackson scored the first points of the game for LBSU with 4:28 remaining in the first quarter.
Following the media timeout, the 49ers went on a 6-2 run to cut the deficit to 9-6. The Lady Tigers ended the quarter on a 5-1 run to take a 14-7 lead heading into the second period.
Despite LSU scoring the first six points of the second quarter, LBSU used a 2-3 zone to limit the Lady Tigers offensively.
After the Lady Tigers’ 6-0 run, LBSU went on A 9-0 run of their own. The 49ers forced the Lady Tigers to commit turnovers, and the Tigers struggled to score from the floor, going 5:25 before earning another basket, giving the Tigers a 22-16 lead.
The 49ers, however, ended the first half on a 7-2 run, trailing the Lady Tigers 24-23 at the intermission.
In the first half, LSU shot 41 percent from the field while LBSU shot 29 percent. The Lady Tigers outrebounded the 49ers 23-15 but lost the turnover ratio, committing 13 to the 49ers eight.
Both teams exchanged baskets to open the third quarter before a media timeout with 4:58 remaining in the quarter.
Tied at 35-35, Shanice Norton and Ann Jones added two free throws. Then, Deemer scored seven consecutive points to put the Lady Tigers up 44-39 at the end of third.
For the game, the Lady Tigers shot 47 percent from the field and 44 percent from three-point range. LSU outrebounded LBSU 41-33, including 31 defensive rebounds. Long Beach State came into the game shooting 42 percent from three-point range, and LSU shut down their long game, allowing LBSU to hit just one of their 21 attempts.
The 49ers shot 31 percent for the game, scored 23 points off turnovers and earned 18 second chance points. Raven Benton led LBSU in scoring with 17 points and seven rebounds.
LSU will return to action on Monday as the Lady Tigers go on the road against Tulane. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., in New Orleans. The game will be carried by Cox Sports Television.
For all of the latest news and information on Lady Tiger basketball, visit www.LSUsports.net/womensbasketball. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/LSUwbkb, @LSUwbkb and @NikkiCaldwell on Twitter, @LSUwbkb and @LSUNikkiCaldwell on Instagram.
LSU Starters
Akilah Bethel, Alexis Hyder, Anne Pedersen, Rina Hill and Jenna Deemer
LBSU Starters
Jewelyn Sawyer, Raven Benton, Anna Kim, Madison Montgomery, Chantel Dooley
Post-Game Quotes
LSU HEAD COACH NIKKI FARGAS
Opening Statement …
“It was a good team win for us. I felt as though our team made plays down the stretch that we needed to against a very good Long Beach State team. We did what we needed to do on the defensive end by holding our opponent to 53 points. That’s always our goal to keep a team in the low 50s and preferably the 40s. This is definitely a quality win for our basketball team.”
On Raigyne Moncrief missing the game with an injury…
“Right now we know that she’s eventually going to have to have surgery so we know that she’s out. We don’t know to what extent it is right now but we are preparing as though we don’t have her and that’s what we are going to continue to do. Like Jenna (Deemer) and Akilah (Bethel) said, they needed to step up they and their other teammates did just that. We obviously are going to miss having Moncrief on the floor. She brings not only the basketball side of it but she also brings great leadership and a calmness and poise, especially when the games are tight. We are definitely going to need everybody to step up.”
“Her injury has been ongoing and she’s been limited on her practices and leading up to the season she was limited. We are now proceeding in a manner to try to correct the problem. You never know with injuries and we are obviously a team that has experienced injuries in the later part of the season, not usually in the front end and we are just going to have to make those adjustments. Moncrief is one of those players that is going to give you everything she has and she’s trying to push through and our number one concern for any one of our student-athletes is their health and wellbeing, so we are going to make sure she does what she needs to do. Micki Collins and her team have done an unbelievable job in caring for not only Moncrief but other players who are having nagging injuries.”
On Rina Hill and Ann Jones …
“When you look at Rina Hill, she’s someone you want on the floor, especially late in the game because she has a toughness about her. When you are going up against a team like Long Beach State and they are battling in there, she’s going to step up and take those charges. Those were critical defensive plays for us. She may not have shot the ball well but she also kept them from scoring the basketball through her defensive effort. I know she’s a great scorer, she’s the first one in the gym, the last one to leave. She puts in the time, the effort, the shots and it just was an off night for her but I’m glad it does not hinder Rina Hill from being that competitor. Jenna Deemer really stepped up and played not only the perimeter for us, but we had an opportunity to find her and she was able to get those three balls, but when we moved her to the point she was able to slow the ball down for us especially when Rina Hill got into foul trouble and we were able to still score the basketball with her at the point. Ann Jones‘s play was huge. She really gave us that spark off the bench and was a go-to for us inside. She cleared the rebounds, had eight boards and two blocks, her stat line looked really good for us.”
On defensive rotation…
“We obviously knew what they were capable of. They not only can shoot the three but they can play off the drive. I thought the penetration hurt us. We had to make some adjustments and go to our zone. I think the thing we were able to do was wear on them a little bit and not make it so easy, their catches weren’t as easy. The shot clock getting down quite a bit for them and that’s what we wanted, we wanted the shot clock to be a low 10, 9, 8 so you have a little bit of that pressure on that shot but for them to shoot and only make one three. That definitely was the difference in the game.”
On overall play of the team…
“I think there is a growth in this team every single game. I look at us just last Friday against Wake Forest, we’ve played four games in eight days. This team has really grown and matured in a lot of different areas. From start to finish, this was one of our better games as far as just staying in control. I felt like we controlled the tempo of the game even when they made runs at us. We always felt as though if we controlled the boards, then we controlled the tempo and that’s what we were able to do.”
LSU FORWARD AKILAH BETHEL
On the game plan….
“Coach explained to us how they (LBSU) play defense and the lane and that we had to give them gaps, but she also expressed to us that they get out in the first quarter, scoring 29 so it was important for us to tighten up our defense and make sure that they don’t get that first start.”
On Anne Jones’s play…
“Anne has stepped up tremendously in the past, not just this game, but also against Little Rock and the game before that. So I think she’s always had it in her and we need that from her, and she’s been doing a great job.”
On Long Beach State’s 3-point game…
“I think they’re capable of more than a 3-ball, but we have to meet every pass, be on the 3-point line as the ball goes in the air, and make them do something different. And obviously we played them in previous years, well last year, so we understood what they’re capable of, and made changes within ourselves in order to pull this one out.”
LSU GUARD JENNA DEEMER
On the defensive scheme …
“I think we contained and we contested. We had our left hand up on right-handed shooters and right hand up on left-handed shooters and we got the boards.”
On Anne Jones’s play…
“I think her confidence is big, and she’s shown what she could bring to the team, and Coach is giving her that opportunity to show it, and she’s doing it.”
Game Notes
Raigyne Moncrief did not dress out today because of a knee injury. This is the first game that the junior guard has missed since sitting out the last two NCAA Tournament games as a freshman because of a knee injury.
Jenna Deemer started today in place of Raigyne Moncrief. It was Deemer’s first start of the season and the second of the sophomore’s career. Her previous start was against UC-Santa Barbara last year.
Alexis Hyder, Anne Pedersen and Rina Hill have started all four games for the Lady Tigers this season. Pedersen has started 21 consecutive games dating back to the midpoint of last season.
Jenna Deemer scored 19 against Little Rock on Wednesday and 17 in tonight’s game to mark the second time in her career that she has scored in double digits in consecutive games. Deemer’s six rebounds in the game was a career best for the sophomore.
Ann Jones scored a career-high 14 points in the game off a 6-of-9 shooting effort from the field and a 2-of-4 effort from the free-throw line. Her previous career high was 12 points against Jackson State last season.
Up Next
The Lady Tigers will be back on the road for their next four games, including the matchup with Tulane Monday at 7 p.m. LSU will then play three straight days in the Gulf Coast Showcase at the Germain Arena in Estero, Fla., during the Thanksgiving break. The Lady Tigers face Purdue on Friday and either Marist or Louisville on Saturday. Sunday’s opponent will be either Dayton, Maine, Missouri State or Stanford from the other side of the bracket. The Tulane game and the Gulf Coast Showcase games will be carried by Cox Sports Television.
LSU’s next home game is Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 11 a.m., against Texas Southern. This matchup is the 5th-Annual Field Trip game. All elementary schools in the greater Baton Rouge area are invited to attend this game for free. The first 5,000 EBR students in attendance will receive a LSU Lady Tigers pencil pouch.
For all of the latest news and information on Lady Tiger basketball, visit www.LSUsports.net/womensbasketball. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/LSUwbkb, @LSUwbkb and @NikkiCaldwell on Twitter, @LSUwbkb and @LSUNikkiCaldwell on Instagram.