Lady Tigers dominate Florida

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Senior guard Allison Hightower scored a game-high 19 points, and LSU's daunting defense held Florida to 19.6 percent shooting as the 23rd-ranked Lady Tigers snapped a two-game losing streak with a 70-30 win over the Gators on Thursday night at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.

LSU (16-7, 5-6 Southeastern Conference) defeated Florida for the fourth consecutive time dating back to 2007. All four of the victories have come by double-digits. The Lady Tigers held the Gators to their lowest point total in series history, eclipsing the previous low of 34 in 1986.

Florida (13-11, 6-5) lost for just the second time in the past five games after entering Thursday's play with a share of third place in the SEC standings. The Gators finished with their lowest point total of the SEC season.

"We played extremely well tonight," LSU head coach Van Chancellor said. "We have pushed the team for a few days and we came in here ready to play. Florida was third in the league and playing well. We jumped out on them and cut off everything they tried to do offensively tonight. That might have been the best defense we've had all year."

After surrendering over 100 points in the first time since 1997, the SEC's No. 1 defense returned to form as LSU held Florida to its lowest field goal percentage of the season and its fewest point total in series history. It was the lowest point total by an SEC opponent on the Lady Tigers since LSU allowed

Hightower finished 8-of-13 from the floor and 3-of-3 from 3-point range with three steals in 22 minutes. The SEC Preseason Player of the Year played only two minutes in the second half but was lifted during a 7-0 run to start the period that put the game out of reach.

LaSondra Barrett and Courtney Jones each chipped in 11 points, and freshman Adrienne Webb came off the bench for a career-high 13 points on 3-of-7 shooting from 3-point range. Florida did not have a player register double-figures in scoring.

Posted by Bill Martin  

Mone links long-term deal with Minnesota

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MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Lynx have signed two-time WNBA All-Star Seimone Augustus to a multi-year contract.

The Lynx disclosed the signing Monday without releasing terms. Augustus is currently the WNBA's all-time leader at 21.2 points per game. The 6-foot forward was a restricted free agent, coming off a major injury.

Augustus tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in a game last June, cutting short her fourth season in the league after only six games.
Augustus played on the U.S. Olympic team in 2008.

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Posted by Bill Martin  

Mone picks the Saints

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Seimone Augustus
WNBA's Minnesota Lynx forward and Olympic gold medalist
"The Saints will win. New Orleans is a motivated team with a lot to play for. They have the whole state of Louisiana behind them in addition to the city of New Orleans. That gives them that extra motivation and confidence. Most importantly, we (Augustus is a Louisiana native) have the most accurate quarterback in the NFL in Drew Brees."


Read the rest of the celebrity predictions: http://bit.ly/dofuDb

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Posted by Bill Martin  

KG makes LSU history in triple overtime loss

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BATON ROUGE -- It featured 55 minutes on the scoreboard, 203 points, heroic shots, a triple-double, 14 ties and 21 lead changes, but Ole Miss survived against LSU in one of the greatest games in Pete Maravich Assembly Center history.

LSU's Katherine Graham became the second player in school history with a triple-double, but Ole Miss' Kayla Holloway converted a layup with 11 seconds remaining as the Rebels outlasted the 19th-ranked Lady Tigers, 102-101, in a triple-overtime thriller on Super Bowl Sunday.

The Lady Tigers (15-7, 4-6 SEC) dropped its second straight game and lost for the sixth time in the past eight contests. LSU was playing in its school-record fourth overtime game of the season, and it was the first time in school history the Lady Tigers had played in back-to-back overtime contests.


"I thought we played with an incredible effort today," LSU head coach Van Chancellor said. "I thought we fought as hard as we could fight. I felt we lost the game early, not late. Late in the game, we did all we could. They made some incredible shots in the end. The difference in the game was we couldn't rebound the ball over a team that I thought we could really keep off the offensive boards."

Graham finished with 20 points, a career-high 10 assists and 10 rebounds and provided LSU with its first triple-double since Cornelia Gayden had 32 points, 15 boards and 10 steals against Louisiana-Lafayette on Feb. 7, 1995. It was the first triple-double by an LSU player in a Southeastern Conference game and just the third in school history.

"It doesn't mean much because we lost," Graham said. "Hopefully next time I get a triple-double we can win."

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

* LSU’s Katherine Graham became just the second player in school history to record a triple-double, joining Cornelia Gayden who had two in 1995; last Feb. 7, 1995 (32 pts, 15 rebounds, 10 steals vs. UL-Lafayette).


* Graham’s triple-double was the first by an LSU player in an SEC game in school history.

* Allison Hightower scored a game-high 31 points despite missing the final eight minutes (the 3rd OT) due to cramping.

* It was the second triple overtime game in school history. Last: Feb. 15, 2003: LSU 98, Santa Barbara 90

* It was the third-highest combined scoring game in school history. Highest scoring game since Feb. 10, 1991: Georgia 108, LSU 102 (2OT in Baton Rouge). It was also the second highest scoring game in the history of the Maravich Center.


* LSU’s 31 made free throws tied a school record.

Posted by Bill Martin  

Allison a finalist for Lowe's Senior CLASS Award

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OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- LSU senior guard Allison Hightower has been named one of 10 national finalists for the 2009-10 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award for NCAA women's basketball, which recognizes excellence both on and off the court, it was announced Wednesday afternoon.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - classroom, character, community and competition.

Nationwide balloting begins immediately and concludes March 22 to determine the winner. Fan balloting will be available on the award's official Web site, www.seniorCLASSaward.com, as well as through text messaging. Fans can text WBBALL to 74567 to vote for women's finalists.

These votes will be combined with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient of the award.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in SchoolTM, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. The finalists were chosen by a media committee from the list of 30 women's candidates who were announced in October.

"It's an honor to be considered a finalist for such a great award because it also takes into account what you do in the community and in school and not just on the court," Hightower said. "We've always been proud of what we do in the community as Lady Tigers. To have the fans involved in the voting is great because they are the ones who see us not only out on the court but in school visits and community service projects."

Read Bill Martin's entire article at: http://bit.ly/aAodTE

VOTE FOR ALLISON EACH DAY AT:

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Posted by Bill Martin  

We Love Mike the Tiger!

No doubt every school has a mascot but at LSU we think Mike the Tiger is the absolute best. Besides having a live Mike the Tigers that lives outside guarding the PMAC, we also have a lot of students that work hard to bring Mike alive at various events -- and the do an amazing job!

They don't just attend games but just about every event imaginable on and off campus and give LSU tremendous visibility. There is nothing that brings a smile quicker to an LSU fan (any age) than when Mike walks up and extends his paw for a shake.

Mike even has his own website: http://www.mikethetiger.com/

He is also on Twitter & Facebook
http://www.twitter.com/lsumiketiger
http://www.facebook.com/lsumikethetiger

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Posted by Bill Martin  

Lady Tigers Work GPA Program On Day Off

This past Monday was a day off from basketball practice so the majority of the team decided to visit their schools that had adopted them as part of our GPA (Goals, Perseverance, Achievement) Program.

KATHERINE GRAHAM:
As you all may know we are partnering with some schools in the East Baton Rouge Parish schools doing a GPA program. Well on Monday Feb. 2, I had the privilege of visiting my school again. Like any other visit I was greeted with a smile form all the students and staff! My first stop was in a First grade class where they had many questions, and were eager for me to read a book to them. I enjoyed the book as well because I was able to become a child again. I'm not sure of the exact name of the book, but it was a spin off of the "Three Little Pigs" story. However, it was the Wolf's version. It was quite interesting to see the other side of the story. After I left that class I went to visit the rest of the first grade classes and some Kindergarten classes (during nap time) I wish they had those in college! The purpose of this visit was to remind the students of Woodlawn Elementary to come support us on February 8 as we face Ole Miss, and also to encourage them to continue their success in the classroom. Until next time Lady Tiger fans!

LASONDRA BARRETT:
Today at Scottlandville Elementary school I reminded the students about our Bookmark Game, in which they received two tickets to our game Sunday against Ole Miss. The tickets were given to each student to promote education and learning within our GPA program throughout the East Baton Rouge Parish schools. Also, I paid a visit to the kindergarten classes to read them a Dr. Seuss book about exercising and living healthy. Afterward, I went to each class to remind them about the importance of getting an education, staying in school, and coming to see the Lady Tigers play Sunday!!

JASMINE NELSON:
Today Boogie and I visited Scottlanville Elementary. I had lots of fun with those kids. From the time we walked in the door they smiled ear to ear. We sat and read a Dr. Seuss book to the kindergartens and we went around and reminded the other grades about their free tickets Sunday to come out and enjoy the game against Ole Miss. The kids were well behaved and respectful. They answered "yes ma'am" to everything that was said from the teachers and us. That really impressed me the most.

SWAYZE BLACK:
Today I took a visit to LaSalle Elementary to catch up with my group of kids. Once I arrived I was told I would be in the gym assisting the PE coach in various activities but once I got to the gym I only watched the kids compete in different races. I also cheered them on and gave a few pointers on how they could win. It was really fun watching the kids have such a good time. They really enjoyed my company and asked me to join in on their PE games on my next visit. I can't wait!

TAYLOR BOOZE:
Today Taylor Turnbow and myself visited a local middle school here in baton rouge. We got a chance to speak with all the young teens and tell them all about our program and answered any questions they had for us. My most memorable part of the day was when we were able to talk with the boys basketball team whose record is now 0-4! We just tried to give them some encouraging thoughts and told them to keep practicing and playing together. They really seemed to enjoy our talk and hopefully they can pull out a win next game! It was fun to put a smile on all their faces and I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did!

ERICA WILLIAMS:
It's always a joy visiting at Brookstown. Today I got to get a little up close and personal with a group of kids sharing stories and answering many good questions. We got a little game of free throws in girls vs. boys. (of course the girls won) Today was really exciting, I can't wait to go back to see what they've been up to.

ANDREA KELLY:
Today I was not only able to visit Winbourne, the school I usually attend, but another school with Erica and Tia. The group of kids we talked to was a 4th grade p.e. class of about 15 boys and girls. The class challenged the three of us to a free throw contest and for every shot they missed they had to run a lap around the court. We didn't shoot, instead the boys went against the girls and let's just say collectively the number of laps were up to 13...but they didn't have to run them because Erica knocked them off by shooting some free throws too:) After that we all sat down close to each other and their coach encouraged them to use this opportunity to ask questions they wouldn't be able to ask in a big crowd. They all had great questions and we shared some laughs with each other while at the same time telling them the importance of having a great attitude and conduct. One girl in particular expressed how she has dreams of one day becoming a nurse and it was a joy to give her some knowledge about that because medicine is the field I want to go in.

 

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Posted by Bill Martin  

Eason battles through injuries to guide Lady Tigers at the point

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MOLLY CLARK, Student Assistant SID (2-2-10):
Some athletes stand out immediately. Some never shine, and some play under the radar to 'wow' the crowd.

Junior Latear Eason battled through several injuries and came out of nowhere this season to become a vital part of the 2009-10 Lady Tiger squad.

The Chicago, Ill., native began her career at LSU as a freshman under an irreplaceable senior class. She started her first collegiate game against Samford and ended the game with four points. Eason played all year until one practice that ended her season just before the SEC Tournament.

Eason injured her knee and had surgery at the end of the season.

Though her freshman season was cut short, Eason turned her setback into a steppingstone and learned from the older players she looked up to.

"When I had to sit on the sidelines when I got hurt, I really learned a lot from Erica White," said Eason. "She showed me how to be great offensive and defensive player and to use her size to her advantage."

As Eason learned from the sidelines, her team raced to its fifth consecutive Final Four appearance.

When the 2008-09 season came, Eason was one year older and part of a very young Lady Tiger team. The team began the season with a six-game winning streak, and the sophomore made her first career start against Middle Tennessee. It was only uphill from there because Eason soon became one of the stable forces to the inexperienced team.


Read the entire article: http://bit.ly/cax61e

Posted by Bill Martin  

Lady Tigers use 3-ball to defeat Alabama

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Senior preseason All-American Allison Hightower scored 29 points, including a career-high six three-pointers, as the 18th-ranked LSU women's basketball team continued its dominance of Alabama with a 78-41 rout of the Crimson Tide on Sunday afternoon at Coleman Coliseum.

LSU (15-5, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to .500 in league play with its 11th consecutive win over the Crimson Tide. The Lady Tigers shot a conference season-high 8-of-18 from 3-point range and finished 46.3 percent from the floor. The eight threes were the most by LSU since making 10 in the season-opener against Centenary.

Hightower scored 19 of her 29 points in the first half and she finished 11-of-18 from the floor for the entire game. Her six 3-pointers tied for the seventh-most in LSU single-game history and the most since Quianna Chaney drained six against Arkansas on Feb. 28, 2008. It was also Hightower's highest scoring output of her career in an SEC game.

"I've struggled shooting the ball lately, but I came out today and knocked down some open shots," Hightower said. "This was an important win for us."

Sophomore forward LaSondra Barrett added 13 points and 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. Freshman guard Adrienne Webb, playing in front of dozens of family members in her home state, chipped in 11 points in her best SEC performance of the season.


Read Bill Martin's entire report at: http://bit.ly/aOWBf7


Posted by Bill Martin