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Home > SECWB News & More! > SEC Teams > Vanderbilt > 2009 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament Semifinal 2
2009 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament Semifinal 2
by LeAnne Harrington
Posted: March 8th, 2009 @ 2:19pm
Vanderbilt 61, LSU 47
LSU entered the SEC semifinals on a streak, having won 6 straight games and 12 of their last 16, but Vanderbilt’s tenacity and experience proved to be the difference in this one, with the Commodores coming on strong late in the second half to win 61-47. This win marked the first time Vanderbilt has won during the 2008-2009 season after trailing or being tied at halftime. Credit the Vandy seniors with stepping in and both calming and motivating their younger teammates. All-SEC senior Christina Wirth told her compatriots to “just relax and play our game” and Wirth did just that. After trailing the entire first half, Vandy took their first lead at the 15:44 mark of the second half on two Jen Risper free throws, but Vandy wasn’t able to stretch the lead any further than 4. With 8 minutes remaining, it was still anybody’s game with the score knotted at 40, and Risper heading for the bench after picking up her fourth foul. Up stepped Wirth, nailing a three, which proved to be the dagger in LSU’s heart. From that point on, Vandy attacked the basket, driving inside for easy shots or picking up fouls for “and one” situations. Vanderbilt was also effective on the offensive boards during this final stretch, and tallied 13 offensive rebounds for the game.
LSU coach Van Chancellor gave Vanderbilt a lot of credit, saying coach Melanie Balcomb has done a great job with them and they have adjusted well, having to go to a smaller lineup due to the injury of center Hannah Tuomi. Vanderbilt again worked predominantly with a 4 guard/1 post lineup, and Chancellor stated that he thinks Vandy doesn’t get enough credit for their defense. Allison Hightower, LSU’s junior leader and leading scorer, was held to 6 points, with Vanderbilt using a suffocating box and one defense on her. Vanderbilt was led by Wirth’s 18 points and sophomore guard Jence Rhoads scored 15. Senior Jen Risper chipped in 11 points and was Vandy’s leading rebounder with 7. LSU was led by freshman starting forward LaSondra Barrett and freshman sub Courtney Jones with 10 points each.
The loss to Vanderbilt breaks LSU’s streak of 4 straight SEC Tournament Final appearances. Vanderbilt will be appearing in their eighth SEC Tournament Championship game, where they have won five times previously.
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