BROOKLYN’S FINEST: NO. 15 LSU OUTLASTS MICHIGAN TO WIN BARCLAYS INVITATIONAL, 64-62
BROOKLYN, N.Y. –
Sophomore guard Danielle Ballard converted a go-ahead layup with 20
seconds to play to lift the 15th-ranked LSU women’s basketball team
past Michigan, 64-62, in the championship game of the Barclays
Invitational on Saturday night in the Barclays Center.
“It was
an incredible job by Danielle Ballard to get in there for the score,”
said LSU head coach Nikki Caldwell. “Players made plays tonight. When
you get in late-game situations, that’s what it’s all about.”
The
Lady Tigers (6-1) claimed their fourth straight win and did so
overcoming a six-point deficit in the final five minutes. LSU put the
finishing touches on a spectacular weekend that included a tough win
over home favorite Rutgers on Friday and a win over the Wolverines
(5-3) in the first meeting between the two teams since 2001.
“When
you look at the turnaround from the Rutgers came to today with the late
start, we were ready to play,” said Caldwell. “Michigan did a
phenomenal job, especially in the second half. They shot extremely well
from three. We did a fairly good job in the first half of taking away
the three ball.”
Freshman guard Raigyne Moncrief was named the
tournament’s most outstanding player after recording a combined 40
points and 11 steals in the two games. She finished with 13 points,
five rebounds and four steals on Saturday night. Senior forward Shanece
McKinney added 13 points and was also named to the all-tournament team.
Ballard, who missed the Rutgers game after serving a one-game
suspension, finished with 10 points and accounted for LSU’s final four
points. Her layup with 1:12 to play put the Lady Tigers up 62-59, but
Michigan converted one of its 11 three-pointers to knot the game at 62
apiece with 42 seconds to go.
Caldwell called timeout and the
Lady Tigers ran a play for Ballard. The sophomore then drove through
the lane, missed a layup but gathered her own miss and converted for
the score with 20 ticks left. LSU’s defense then forced Siera Thompson
into a missed jumper, while McKinney collected the rebound and was
fouled.
McKinney missed the front end of her free throw but a
half court heave from Michigan did not get off in time before the final
horn sounded.
Michigan out-rebounded and out-shot LSU from the
floor, but the Lady Tigers made the plays when it counted most on both
ends of the floor. LSU’s bench out-scored the Wolverines, 35-12.
“We
talked about needing to get stops and we were able to do that,” said
Caldwell. “We had the pressure that we needed and didn’t lose our
defensive assignment.”
Jeanne Kenney drained three clutch
threes and kept pace with Michigan’s deep shooters in the second half.
The Wolverines outscored LSU 16-4 in the first seven minutes of the
second stanza to erase a seven-point halftime deficit.
LSU
used its athleticism in the first half with a 12-0 run to take a 29-22
lead into the locker room. DaShawn Harden made an immediate impact upon
her return, collecting two steals that led to a coast-to-coast layup
and a Jasmine Rhodes bucket. The Wolverines went nearly six minutes
without a field goal.
LSU will visit Times Square Sunday morning
before catching a commercial flight back to New Orleans and returning
to campus. The Lady Tigers return to action quickly when they host
Indiana State at 11:30 a.m. CT Tuesday in the Maravich Center. East
Baton Rouge Parish schools have been invited to attend the game.
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