No. 13 Minnesota Falls to Top-ranked LSU
Tuesday, March 14, 2004

A matchup of top-rated teams at Williams Arena on December 14 focused on two players, Louisiana State forward Seimone Augustus and Minnesota center Janel McCarville. Both were tagged as pre-season All-Americans and both were outstanding, leaving the difference in the game to their less-heralded teammates as the number-one ranked Tigers beat the Gophers, who were rated 13th in the country, by a score of 75-67.

While McCarville produced nearly half of Minnesota’s point total and more than a third of the team’s rebounds, Augustus called her performance the “same old, same old” while pointing to her “supporting cast.”

LSU guard Temeka Johnson, after misfiring on her first three shots from the field, found her eye. With drives through the lane and shots from the outside, Johnson finished with 18 points, making seven of 11 field-goal attempts, while dishing out 13 assists. Minnesota coach Pam Borton tried different defenders, but little worked against Johnson.

But the biggest impact may have come from a freshman off the bench. Six-foot-five Sylvia Fowles is working her way into the lineup, averaging just under 22 minutes per game; however, she is by far the team’s leading rebounder, averaging 9.8 coming into the game. Against Minnesota, she played 27 minutes and grabbed 11 rebounds during that time.

If not for Fowles, McCarville may have completely taken over the game for the Gophers. As it was, McCarville led all players with 31 points (a career high) and 13 rebounds in addition to five steals, four assists, and three blocked shots.

McCarville scored the first seven points of the game for the Gophers with all three of her field goals and her one free throw producing a lead. The Gophers extended their lead and were up 12-8 when the quickness of Louisiana State clogged passing lanes while creating opportunities for the Tigers and headaches for the Gophers. Three steals turned into seven points that put LSU into the lead for good.

Minnesota had 13 turnovers in the first half. With nine first-half steals and deadly shooting from the field (63 percent), the Tigers held a 42-30 lead at intermission.

The Gophers took care of the ball better in the second half and chipped away at the lead. April Calhoun hung in after being blocked by Fowles, got her own rebound, and scored to pull Minnesota within 47-42. However, Fowles then produced a putback of her own, getting a rebound of Scholanda Hoston’s miss and scoring. This began a 12-2 run for the LSU. The Tigers’ only other miss during this stretch also produced an offensive rebound and follow-up basket. Meanwhile, the Gophers went 0-for-6 from the field, scoring only on a pair of free throws by McCarville.

Fowles picked up her third foul during this run, causing her to leave the game, but the Tigers came back with a fast-break layup by Augustus and a field goal by Johnson to increase their lead to 59-44.

LSU coach Pokey Chatman said the Tigers “didn’t close out the game as we wanted” but noted the disparity in free throws between the teams (Minnesota was 7-for-8 from the line, LSU 15-for-24). “We pride ourselves on making more free throws than the other team even attempts. I just wish we would have made a few more.”

Borton referred to the game as a “measuring stick” and said she hoped to have another shot at the Tigers. Both Minnesota and LSU made the Final Four last season, although they did not meet at that time as both were eliminated in the semi-final round.

Note: LSU and Minnesota made the NCAA Final Four for the first time last season. However, LSU had played in the AIWA championship game in 1977. The tournament was held at the University of Minnesota. The Tigers, coached by Jinks Coleman, beat Immaculata in the semi-final game (the first time Immaculata did not make it to the championship game) before losing to Delta State 68-55 for the title. It was the third straight championship for Delta State.