Women’s Hoops Wrap Up Homestand Against Tennessee Thursday
BATON ROUGE – The LSU women’s basketball team will host No. 25 Tennessee on Thursday night to wrap up the Tigers’ current three-game homestand. Game time on February 13 is set for 6:30 p.m. CT. It will be LSU Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
LSU is 17-5 overall and 7-3 in SEC play, while Tennessee is 17-6 overall and 7-3 in conference action. The winner of Thursday’s game will have sole possession of third place in the SEC standings. Tennessee won the first meeting of the season on January 26 in Knoxville, 63-58. The Lady Vols hold the overall series lead, 51-15.
Fans will also be able to take pictures with the 2020 NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship trophy in the Tiger Den located in the west endzone during the game. The 2020 Women’s Final Four will be in New Orleans, April 3 and 5, at the Smoothie King Center. Fans will also have a chance to sign up for special prizes and giveaways.
LSU has four wins against Top 15 opponents this season. The Tigers beat then-No. 15 Michigan State, 58-56 on November 29, then-No. 10 Texas A&M, 57-54 on January 9, then-No. 11 Kentucky, 65-59 on January 19 and then-No. 15 Texas A&M, 59-58 on February 2.
Thursday’s game will be broadcast on the SEC Network Plus and is available on the ESPN app with Lyn Rollins and Victor Howell calling the action. Fans can also listen to Patrick Wright call the game on the LSU Sports Radio Network. Wright is in his 30th season as the “Voice of the Lady Tigers” and is joined on home broadcasts by Jeff Palermo. Fans can listen on 107.3 FM and audio broadcasts are available online at LSUSports.net/live. Live stats will be available at LSUsports.net.
2020 Kay Yow Challenge (Feb. 1-29)
The LSU women’s basketball, men’s basketball and gymnastics teams are uniting with the Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center to raise $100,000 for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. The fundraising program will be part of the annual Play4Kay campaign, the largest fundraising initiative of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
Funds will be raised through a pledge program. Both basketball teams are asking fans to make a pledge for every free throw made at each of their games in the month of February. Gymnastics fans can make a pledge for every team event with a score of 49.00 or higher during their cancer awareness meets on January 17 vs. Auburn and February 16 vs. Kentucky. Fans can also make as a flat donation through the same link.
Fans can go to LSUsports.net/KayYowChallenge to pledge a donation. When the $100,000 goal is reached, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund will forward a $150,000 grant to the Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center. The monies raised will be returned to the Baton Rouge community to benefit the underserved population with cancer services in Baton Rouge and surrounding parishes.
The vision of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund is to be the premier non-profit organization dedicated to supporting innovative ways of fighting ALL cancers affecting women and providing support through giving strength, courage, and hope.
LSU Update
LSU, currently receiving votes in the Associated Press and USA Today/WBCA Coaches Polls, beat Missouri at the PMAC on February 10, 66-58. Redshirt junior Faustine Aifuwa grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds for the second consecutive game and scored a season-best 19 points for her fourth double-double of the season. Three other starters also reached double figures as senior Jaelyn Richard-Harris had a season-high tying 14 points, junior Khayla Pointer scored 12 and junior Awa Trasi, starting in place of the injured Ayana Mitchell, scored 11. Richard Harris was a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line, pushing LSU’s lead late in the game.
Pointer leads the squad from the point with 15.0 points and 4.5 assists per game. She has one of the best free throw shooting percentages on the squad at 70.4 and the most steals with 52.
Aifuwa is having a solid season in the paint for LSU. Aifuwa is second on the team among active players with 10.2 points per game. She is sporting a 48.5 field goal percentage to go along with 8.3 rebounds per game and 38 blocked shots.
LSU continues its solid play on defense, having held opponents to 50 points or under five times and 15 opponents at 60 or under so far this season and winning the battle of the boards in 19 games played.
With the loss of Mitchell, LSU head coach Nikki Fargas is counting on her bench to step up and fill the void with several players taking on different roles. Trasi moved into the starting slot and stretches LSU’s offense with her long-range shooting. Junior Rakell Spencer and freshman Tiara Young come off the bench to provide a defensive spark against opponents’ top player.
Fargas is in her ninth season at LSU (165-111) and 12th overall (237-137). In 26 seasons as a student-athlete, graduate assistant and collegiate coach, Fargas is 641-213.
The Opponent – Tennessee
This will be the second meeting of the season between LSU and Tennessee. Tennessee won the first meeting in Knoxville, 63-58 on January 26.
Rennia Davis leads the Lady Vols with 18.1 points per game. Jordan Horston is also averaging double figures at 10.2 points per game, while Rae Burrell is matching that figure while coming off the bench. Davis is Tennessee’s top rebounder with 8.3 boards per game and Horston is dishing out triple-digit assists with 114 on the season.
Up Next
The Tigers return to the road on Sunday, February 16 at Auburn with game time set for 4 p.m. Fans not making the trip to Auburn can watch the game on the SEC Network or on their ESPN app.
The next home game for LSU will be Sunday, February 23 against Georgia at 2 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets for all games at LSUtix.net.
Follow Along on Social Media
Follow updates on LSU women’s basketball on Twitter and Instagram at @LSUwbkb or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lsuwbkb.
Geaux Clear at the PMAC
Fans are reminded that the Geaux Clear Policy will be in effect for all LSU women’s basketball home games. Diaper bags must be clear and no larger than 12″ x 6″ x 12″. Backpacks, including drawstring/synch bags are strictly prohibited.
Fans with medically-necessary items will be allowed to enter the PMAC following a more thorough search at the designated inspection points. The lower level inspection will take place at the southeast corner entrance near the elevator and upper level inspection is available at the South concourse near the Ticket Office.
For other updates, information is available on LSUSports.net.