The Lady Bulldogs saw their season go further downhill on Sunday as they fell to the LSU Lady Tigers by a 84-31 score.This was LSU’s largest-ever margin of victory in Southeastern Conference play. The Lady Tigers started fast, hitting their first five shots and jumping out to a 9-0 lead.
The Lady Bulldogs hit their first field goal with 17:18 left in the first half of play, but the Lady Tigers then built a 22-point lead within the next eight minutes through a 17-2 run. LSU’s victory gives it a 37-4 series advantage, including a 19-0 mark against the Lady Bulldogs at home. Mississippi State’s most recent win against LSU was in January 1995.
The Lady Tigers shot a season-high 65.2 percent from the floor. On defense, LSU held Mississippi State at 14.3 percent shooting.
LSU took the lead at the break with 48-15 as they finished off a quick 11-0 spurt with 2:33 left in the first half.
The Lady Tigers continued their dominance in the second half of play, outscoring Mississippi State 36-16.
Sophomore guard Alexis Rack scored seven points, going 3-for-18 from the field, to lead Mississippi State.
“It was a game to learn from, and we have practicing to do, but it was still special for the few of us that are from that area,” Rack said.
Lady Bulldogs head coach Sharon Fanning said her team can only build on the tough loss.
“This game is behind us,” Coach Fanning said. “Now we must look ahead.”
LSU made 27 of 36 free throws. Quianna Chaney scored 14 of her 16 points in the first half of play to help No. 9 LSU.
Fanning said that LSU had a few advantages that really helped them in their game.
“They had eight to nine seniors on the floor, and they are and have been a final four team,” Fanning said. “Our team played with a great deal of confidence. We must grow from it, learn from it and don’t repeat it. Sometimes you must take a few steps back to move forward.”
The Lady Bulldogs will look to bounce back from the tough LSU loss when they take on the Lady Razorbacks in Fayetteville, Ark. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Last season the Lady Bulldogs defeated the Lady Razorbacks at Fayetteville with by a final score of 81-73.
One of Arkansas’ star players is senior Whitney Jones, who in her last game had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Lady Razorbacks to a win over Florida.
Last season Jones played in all 31 games, starting in two of them. She averaged 4.8 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per game.
Jones was the inside sixth player with double-digit minutes in all but four games.
She scored 13 points and 6-for-8 from the field for an early season best with Lipscomb, then had a near double-double with 11 points and eight rebounds in only 20 minutes of play against Denver.
Her 11 points off the bench against Alabama helped Arkansas grab a key divisional win. She became a rebounding power at the end of last season with a season-high tying eight rebounds against LSU.
Fanning said she expects Arkansas to be a formidable opponent and hopes her team will be ready for the challenge.
“Arkansas is a ranked team and has been for the past few weeks,” Fanning said. “They are a good team with great athletes. We are going to have to have good transitions and we must guard hard. They are a successful team.”
Sophomore forward Tysheka Grimes said she thinks consistency is the key to turning around their season.
“It still always comes down to the same thing, and that is playing for the full 40 minutes and staying consistent,” she said.