TigerBait.com - Lady Tigers seeded sixth; host Green Bay

March 16, 2009

William Weathers
TigerBait.com Managing Editor

The past week hadn't been a lot of fun for LSU women's basketball coach Van Chancellor. Since his team bowed out of the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament the Lady Tigers took off a total of four days, including the weekend, sandwiched around three days of practice.

That created plenty of idle time for Chancellor to ponder the prospects for the lady Tigers in the upcoming NCAA tournament ? an event he wasn't 100 percent certain his team would even take part in more than a month ago.

However, thanks to a strong finish to the regular season, Chancellor was able to enjoy the fruits of that success when LSU (18-10) was awarded a No. 6 seed and will host No. 11 Green Bay in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

The game will be televised by ESPN2.

"I'm tired of waiting," Chancellor said, his voice rising with enthusiasm Monday evening. "This has been a long, long day. To wait all day, to sit around and wait on this and for this to happen and finally be in it is exciting."

It didn't take LSU and a gathering of fans at the Lawton Room long to put the Lady Tigers in their brackets.

The Lady Tigers were assigned to the Raleigh Regional ? the first one ESPN divulged ? and were paired with Green Bay (29-3) which is riding a 21-game win streak and hasn't lost since Dec. 29 at DePaul by eight points. The Phoenix won both the Horizon Conference's regular season and postseason conference titles and will make their 10th trip to the NCAA Tournament.

"I had Green Bay on television when I was working with TV," said Chancellor, a former college analyst. "They're well-disciplined. They play a certain way. They're not going to beat themselves. They're not going to turn the ball over. They're going to shoot it. This is a real challenge in my mind."

The LSU-Green Bay winner will meet the winner of No. 3 Louisville (29-4) and No. 14 Liberty (24-8) in Tuesday's second round game at 8:30 p.m.

"If we don't beat Green Bay we won't play Louisville," LSU sophomore guard Katherine Graham said.

The matchup features two of the nation's top defensive teams with Green Bay leading the country in points allowed at 50.2 while LSU is sixth at 53.0. The Lady Tigers are one of 12 teams in the NCAA tournament playing on their home floor where they are 12-1 all-time in NCAA play.

The Raleigh Regional features top-seeded Maryland of the ACC along No. 2 Baylor of the Big 12, No. 3 Louisville of the Big East, No. 4 Vanderbilt of the SEC and No. 5 Kansas State of the Big 12.

The Final Four is scheduled April 5-7 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

LSU's last-season flourish ? six wins in its last seven games ? helped the Lady Tigers' season gain greater clarity after sitting at 12-9 overall and 5-4 in Southeastern Conference play with five league games to play.

Not only did the program's run of five straight Final Four appear to be in peril but so did the school's streak of 10 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances if not for a stretch run that included wins over ranked opponents such as Florida and Tennessee and a road win over Ole Miss to close out the regular season.

The Lady Tigers then avenged two losses to Mississippi State with a 63-58 victory over the Bulldogs in the SEC tournament quarterfinals before bowing out to Vanderbilt in the semifinal round.

"I have always been told it is not how you start, it is about how you finish," LSU freshman forward LaSondra Barrett. "With all of the obstacles we have faced throughout the season, we have learned from them and that will make us stronger."

That late-season flurry not only comfortably put LSU into his 19th overall NCAA tournament and 11th straight ? but also earned the Lady Tigers a sixth seed on the strength of several factors: finishing in a tie for second in the SEC, a No. 8 strength of schedule and No. 18 Rating Percentage Index.

"I've never been frustrated with this team as much as I was a little frustrated with myself," Chancellor said. "I could not punch the right buttons and get us where I thought we could get to. But when I reflect back on it we're just fortunate to get there. I'm just tickled to be in it."

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