BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – Sylvia Fowles had 14 points and 10 rebounds to help LSU extend its winning streak to 14 games, with a 52-48 victory over Kentucky on Thursday night.
Erica White scored 13 points, the last of them on a crucial fast-break layup after she had stolen the ball with the game tied at 48.
LSU (23-3, 12-0 Southeastern Conference) hasn’t lost to Kentucky (13-13, 7-5) since 1995, but the Lady Tigers’ 13th straight victory over the Wildcats was a struggle in the final minutes.
Kentucky, which had trailed by 11 with 8:02 remaining, tied the game at 48 when Sarah Elliott scored inside as she was fouled.
She missed her free throw, but Kentucky grabbed the rebound and tried to set up for the go-ahead score. White broke up a pass and corralled the loose ball before sprinting the length of the floor for the eventual game-winning score.
Chelsea Chowning attempted to tie the game with a runner on the edge of the lane, but it bounced off the rim and Fowles pulled down her final rebound, then made two free throws with 5.5 seconds to go to put the game away.
?We don?t fault the effort and energy tonight,” UK head coach Matthew Mitchell said. “The energy was on the right level and the effort was there. We just couldn?t execute, and that?s kind of been the story in all of our tough losses this year. We didn?t have the right effort the first time we played LSU, but we did tonight and I?m really proud of our team.?
Samantha Mahoney led Kentucky with 12 points, while Elliot finished with 11 and Eleia Roddy 10. Victoria Dunlap grabbed 12 rebounds for Kentucky, which held LSU nearly 20 points below its season average. The Wildcats also outrebounded LSU 46-34.
LSU needed a good defensive effort to win and got it, holding Kentucky to 37 percent shooting and forcing 20 turnovers.
“We knew that it was a big key to stay with them,” Mitchell said. “I told our team before the game that I had no idea how we stacked up with LSU based on our first meeting. I knew that wasn?t the way we could have played or competed. I knew we could have played much better. Our team responded tonight. We came out with a good start, and the important thing is that we proved that we could match-up with the elite teams in the country because we plan on playing more basketball after the regular season is done.?
Before tip-off, the 6-foot-6 Fowles was invited to midcourt to receive a commemorative basketball for becoming the fifth player in LSU history to score 2,000 points earlier this month.
Kentucky hardly seemed impressed. Elliott, who also is 6-6, planted herself between Fowles and the basket on the Wildcats’ defensive end. Fowles tried to back in closer to the basket, but Elliot either wouldn’t budge or sometimes managed to nudge Fowles farther away.
Out of her comfort zone, Fowles had only one basket during the first 17 minutes. Forced to get its scoring on perimeter shots or drives to the hoop, LSU was unable to pull away early.
The Lady Tigers led only 20-14 after Fowles scored her second basket of the game on a jump-hook with 2:56 left in the opening half.
Fowles scored again on a short step-back jumper, then White’s driving layup capped a 10-1 run to close out the half and give LSU a 24-15 lead.
Kentucky returns to action Sunday when it travels to Fayetteville, Ark., to face the Arkansas Lady ‘Backs. Tip-off in Bud Walton Arena is slated for 3 p.m. EST and the game will be carried live on the Big Blue Sports Network (radio) with Neil Price.
