Tigers get defensive with FSU

FRESNO, Calif. – The way LSU plays defense, the Lady Tigers don’t need much offense to win games.

When Quianna Chaney shoots the way she did Saturday night, it becomes quite easy.

Chaney scored eight of her 22 points during a 10-0 run to open the second half, and third-seeded LSU moved into the Fresno Regional final with a 55-43 victory over 10th-seeded Florida State on Saturday night.

The Lady Tigers (29-7) have the stingiest defense in the nation, allowing fewer than 50 points per game. They were at the top of their game against the overmatched Seminoles (24-10).

Florida State was held to a season-low 18 points in the first half and then went nearly 5 minutes at the start of the second half without scoring, falling behind 37-18 on Chaney’s fastbreak layup. She also hit two of her four 3-pointers in the run, finishing 9 for 16 from the field.

The Lady Tigers coasted from there and advanced to play top-seeded Connecticut (32-3) in Monday night’s regional final. The Huskies beat fourth-seeded North Carolina State 78-71 in the opening game.

Earlier this season, UConn snapped LSU’s 43-game home winning streak with a 72-71 victory Feb. 11.

Acting coach Bob Starkey, who took over the team after Pokey Chatman abruptly resigned March 7 amid allegations of improper conduct with a former player, has the Lady Tigers within one win of their fourth straight trip to the Final Four.

Star center Sylvia Fowles had 20 points, nine rebounds and anchored LSU’s defense. The only thing Fowles didn’t do well was shoot free throws, going just 6 for 13. But that’s fitting since Starkey compares her to a player he used to coach on LSU’s men’s team: Shaquille O’Neal.

Jacinta Monroe scored 15 points and Alicia Gladden added 12 for the Seminoles, who had never made it past the second round of the NCAA tournament before shocking second-seeded Stanford 68-61 on the Cardinal’s home floor Monday night.

Florida State was trying to join Lamar as the only double-digit seeds to make it to the regional final. Lamar did it as a No. 10 seed in 1991.

The Seminoles shot 35 percent for the game, turned the ball over 21 times and scored their fewest points of the season. Fowles, the leading shot blocker in LSU history, had three and altered many other shots.