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Tigers on the prowl

Porsha Phillips celebrates with the school mascot after LSU advanced to the Final Four. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Josh Dubow Associated Press
Porsha Phillips celebrates with the school mascot after LSU advanced to the Final Four. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

FRESNO, Calif. – The talk coming into the NCAA tournament was about the coach LSU was missing. It’s the center who is still dominating the middle that lifted the Lady Tigers to their fourth straight women’s basketball Final Four.

Sylvia Fowles overpowered Connecticut with 23 points, 15 rebounds and an intimidating defensive performance that led third-seeded LSU to a 73-50 victory over the top-seeded Huskies on Monday night in the Fresno Regional final.

A team in turmoil heading into the tournament after head coach Pokey Chatman abruptly resigned March 7 amid allegations of improper conduct with a former player, LSU (30-7) shook off any distractions and won four straight under acting coach Bob Starkey.

The longtime assistant for both the men’s and women’s programs at LSU has an undefeated record as a head coach and looks to end his career that way with two more wins next week in Cleveland. Starkey said he has no aspirations to become the full-time coach.

LSU will play Rutgers in Sunday’s national semifinal.

Connecticut (32-4) will watch the Final Four for the third straight year after making it there the previous five years.

The Huskies, who won 72-71 at LSU last month, had no answers for Fowles, who dominated from the start.

With long arms, quick feet, and a 6-foot-6 frame, Fowles is an intimidating presence in the middle of the defense. She blocked six shots, altered many others, had three steals, deflected passes and forced the Huskies into bad shots and turnovers.

The two players Fowles guarded most often – Tina Charles and Kaili McLaren – each went 0 for 5 from the field. UConn shot just 33 percent.

Fowles also got help with some outside shooting from Allison Hightower and Ashley Thomas. Hightower hit three 3-pointers in the first half and Thomas hit a pair in the second after the Huskies cut LSU’s lead to 12. The Lady Tigers led by at least 10 points for the final 26 minutes.

“Everybody always double teams Sylvia,” Thomas said. “We knew we had to come out and knock down shots. I did it and my teammates did it.”