ATHENS, Ga. -- The 19th-ranked LSU women's basketball team aims for its second straight Southeastern Conference win as the league's top two defenses collide when the Lady Tigers take on No. 14 Georgia at 6 p.m. CST Thursday in Stegeman Coliseum.
The game will be televised live on College Sports Southeast (CSS) and on Cox Sports Television (CST) affiliates. It will also be carried on the LSU Sports Radio Network on 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge and in the Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net.
LSU (15-5, 4-4 SEC) stands in eighth place in the SEC standings, but the Lady Tigers are only two games back of second-place Kentucky. Beginning with Georgia, LSU's next three opponents are versus teams ahead of the Lady Tigers in the standings. Thursday's game will have important ramifications of SEC Tournament positioning, in which the top four teams earn a first-round bye.
"There's no question how important this and every game is from here on out," LSU head coach Van Chancellor said. "Right now we are facing a real challenge. We were here at this point last season at 5-4. Going to Georgia is always a challenge. They are a tough team to beat at home."
The Lady Bulldogs (18-4, 5-4) have gone through their toughest stretch of the season, dropping three consecutive games and four of their last six after starting the season 16-0. Georgia is 11-1 at home on the season, but lost at Mississippi State on Jan. 28 and then fell to Auburn on the road, 67-53, on Sunday.
LSU dominated Alabama on Sunday en route to a 78-41 victory in Tuscaloosa. Allison Hightower scored 29 points, including a career-high six 3-pointers as the Lady Tigers snapped a two-game losing skid. LSU poured in eight 3-pointers, the most since making 10 in the season-opener against Centenary.
Hightower has lived up to her SEC Preseason Player of the Year billing as she leads LSU with 17.1 points per game. She is tied for third in the league in conference only scoring at 17.9 points per contest. The senior ranks among the league's best in 3-point field goal percentage, points and steals. Hightower has collected at least one steal in every game this season.
Sophomore forward LaSondra Barrett is coming off her fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 boards against the Crimson Tide. Barrett is tied with Hightower for third in the league in conference scoring and she ranks seventh in the SEC in rebounding (7.9).
Two of the nation's elite defenses will matchup on Thursday. LSU surrenders 50.4 points per game, a figure that ranks first in the SEC and third nationally trailing only top-ranked Connecticut and Liberty. Georgia has been equally effective allowing only 54.0 points per game. They are led by senior preseason All-SEC guard Ashley Houts, who posted 12.1 points per contest. Porsha Phillips grabs a team-high 7.6 boards per contest.
Georgia leads the all-time series with LSU, 20-15, but the Lady Tigers have won eight out of the last nine meetings dating back to 2004. LSU has won the last two meetings, including a 57-46 win last season in Athens.
This marks the 14th meeting since 2001 that both teams have been ranked. Georgia owns an 11-5 mark on LSU in Athens, but LSU has claimed two of the last three meetings in Stegeman Coliseum. Hightower led all scorers with 16 points, and the Lady Tigers put together a 10-0 run late in the second half to pull away from Georgia last season.
