Tigers rally to defeat Bears for school’s 600th victory

For the second time in four days, top-ranked LSU passed a difficult road test.

Seimone Augustus scored 19 points and the Tigers fought off a second-half charge by Southwest Missouri State with a late 16-0 run in a 66-54 victory in the Triple Crown Classic on Saturday.

“It was the perfect game for us,” LSU coach Pokey Chatman said. “What an environment to play in. You can’t mimic this.”

LSU (10-0) followed up a 75-67 victory at No. 13 Minnesota on Tuesday by shooting 54 percent and holding Southwest Missouri to 36.5 percent. The biggest obstacle was a raucous, near-sellout crowd of 8,431 in the bandbox Hammons Center.

“I couldn’t hear myself,” Chatman said. “It made you focus to be a really good communicating team.”

LSU ended Southwest Missouri’s 24-game, home-court winning streak, the fourth-longest in the nation, despite often sluggish play and 19 turnovers.

Sylvia Fowles had 11 points and 10 rebounds and Scholanda Hoston had 13 points for the Tigers, who trailed 49-47 with 6:26 left before pulling away.

“It wasn’t our best game,” said Augustus, who was 9 for 12. “We were stagnant on offense, but as the game went on we progressed.”

Jenni Lingor had 16 points and nine rebounds and reserve Kari Koch added 14 points for Southwest Missouri (4-4). The Bears shot 48 percent in the second half.

“If we were going to lose to anybody, it might as well be to the No. 1 team in the country,” Southwest Missouri coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson said. “You can tell why they’re the No. 1 team.”

LSU’s win marked the 600th for the program in its 30th season.

(2) Stanford 71, Missouri 55: Brooke Smith scored 16 points and Kelley Suminski added 13 on her 22nd birthday to lead the visiting Cardinal (8-0) past the Tigers (4-5). … (3) Duke 66, (20) Purdue 48: Monique Currie had 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Blue Devils (10-1) over the host Boilmakers (6-3) in the Boilermaker Blockbuster in Indianapolis. … (12) Texas Tech 87, Arkansas St. 53: Alesha Robertson scored 21 points and Chesley Dabbs added 17 as the Raiders (6-1) won their first-round game against the Indians (4-4) in the Duel in the Desert in Las Vegas. … (22) Rutgers 66, Clemson 51: The Scarlet Knights (6-2) used tenacious defense to force 24 turnovers and scored 11 of the final 13 points from the foul line to defeat the Tigers (5-5). … New Mexico 61, (23) Arizona St. 45: Abbie Letz scored 16 points and the Lobos (7-1) held the Sun Devils (7-2) to a season-low point total. … (24) Iowa 80, Drake 69: Crystal Smith scored a career-high 33 points and Jamie Cavey added 16 points, 13 rebounds and seven blocks for the host Hawkeyes (9-0) over the Bulldogs (5-3). … (25) Kansas State 71, Alabama 52: Megan Mahoney scored 22 points to lead the Wildcats (6-2) past the Crimson Tide (6-2) in the Triple Crown Classic at Southwest Missouri State.