Lady Bulldogs Travel To #20 LSU Sunday In Pivotal Regular Season Finale
STARKVILLE, Miss. - In its final regular season game of the 2009-10 campaign, the Mississippi State women's basketball squad will travel to Baton Rouge to take on 20th-ranked LSU Sunday. Tip time from the Pete Maravich Assembly Center is set for 2 p.m. CT.
With all 12 SEC teams having just one game remaining, Mississippi State is fighting for seeding for next week's SEC Tournament to be held in Duluth, Ga. With a win on Sunday, State would clinch the #3 slot. A loss with Vandy and Georgia wins would put State in the #6 slot. A loss with a Vandy win and Georgia loss would put State in the #5 slot. With a MSU loss, a Vandy loss and a Georgia win, State would be the #3. A State loss with a Vandy and Georgia loss would put State in the #4 slot.
The Lady Bulldogs 18-10, 9-6 in SEC play, are coming off a convincing 71-47 road win at Alabama on Thursday. The Lady Bulldogs have now won four of their last six games and are 6-4 in their last 10 games. Alexis Rack continues to pace MSU, scoring 18.1 points a game. Armelie Lumanu (12.1), Tysheka Grimes (11.5), Mary Kathryn Govero (11.5) and Chanel Mokango (10.5) are also averaging double figures. As a team, State ranks fourth in the league in scoring offense (71.4), while ranking fifth in scoring defense (59.2). State leads the league in field goal pct. defense, ranks second in steals and is second in the SEC in threes made per game with 7.2.
The LSU Lady Tigers enter Sunday's game with a 19-8 overall record, 8-7 in conference play. LSU has won four of its last five games and most recently are coming off a 70-53 win over Arkansas at home. Senior Allison Hightower leads the Lady Tigers in scoring, averaging 18.0 points a game which ranks third in the SEC. Sophomore forward LaSondra Barrett averages 12.7 points a game while Katherine Graham is scoring 8.5. LSU leads the conference in scoring defense, yielding just 51.9 points a game. The Lady Tigers are sixth in scoring offense, averaging 69.4 points a game.
In 45 previous meetings, LSU holds a 39-6 advantage over Mississippi State. Mississippi State won both regular season meetings with LSU last season marking the first time in the series State had won two in a row. In games played in Baton Rouge, LSU has won 19 of 20. State's lone win was last season as the Lady Bulldogs defeated LSU 38-36 on an Armelie Lumanu jumper as time expired.