LSU Cruises to 67-52 Victory Over Oklahoma State to Advance to Regional Finals Against UNC
By BRETT MARTEL | Associated Press | Mar 29, 08 4:12 PM CDT in
Sports
LSU complemented its stifling defense with a balanced offense that proved to be too much for Oklahoma State to handle.
Erica White scored 18 points to lead four LSU players in double figures, and the second-seeded Lady Tigers cruised to a 67-52 victory over the third-seeded Cowgirls in the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament on Saturday.
Rashonta LeBlanc had 11 of her 13 points in the second half for LSU (30-5), while Sylvia Fowles had 12 points and Quianna Chaney 10 for the Lady Tigers, seeking to advance to a fifth straight Final Four.
Andrea Riley scored 26 points for Oklahoma State (27-8), but when she finally began to get some help from her teammates, it was too late.
LSU will face North Carolina in the regional finals on Monday night.
After shooting below 20 percent into the second half, Oklahoma State scored on four consecutive possessions, capped by Riley's 3-pointer, but got no closer than 41-32 during that stretch.
LSU matched the Cowgirls' shooting, with LaBlanc and White both hitting 3s and LaBlanc adding a driving layup. The Lady Tigers then began to pull away for good beginning when White, with nowhere to pass and the shot clock running down, started toward the perimeter, then turned 180 degrees and hit a driving floater in the lane.
Fowles then hit a baseline jumper after an inbound pass with a second left on the shot clock, and one possession later, White hit her second 3 of the half.
The 10-1 run continued when Ashley Thomas made one of two free throws, then OSU turned the ball over trying to rebound the missed foul shot, giving Chaney and easy layup to make it 59-40.
LSU used stifling defense to take a double-digit lead in the first half, when Oklahoma State shot 5-of-33 (15 percent) and turned the ball over 13 times. Riley made all of Oklahoma State's field goals in the first 20 minutes for 13 points, but it was not nearly enough for the Cowgirls to keep pace.
After Riley's layup cut LSU's lead to 18-16, the Lady Tigers scored the last 11 points of the first half. Thomas started the run with a jumper, then Fowles converted a three-point play on an inside basket as she was fouled. Chaney followed with her second 3-pointer of the half, then Fowles added two more baskets inside to make it 29-16 at halftime.
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