BSTON ROUGE — LSU’s Lady Tigers basketball team’s No. 3 ranking in the final Associated Press poll of the season, is the highest finish in the program’s history.
The Lady Tigers (27-3), the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament’s West Region, received 1,018 points and four first-place votes, the most in school history, and finished behind top-ranked UConn (1,074 points and 21 first-place votes) and No. 2 Duke (1,070 points and 19 first-place votes).
LSU compiled a 12-3 record against teams ranked in the final poll, including a win against No. 4 Tennessee on March 9 to win the 2003 Southeastern Conference Tournament title. The 12 wins against the top 25 are the most by any team in the country.
LSU’s previous best finish in the AP poll was eighth in both 1983-84 and 1990-91. The Lady Tigers are also ranked third in the coaches poll, which will release its final poll at the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament.
The Lady Tigers begin their quest for a national title on Saturday in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. LSU will battle No. 16 seed Southwest Texas State at 10:36 p.m. CST in Eugene, Ore.