Gamethread: #12 LSU vs. Kentucky, 1:00 P.M., SEC Network

The LSU women’s basketball team, who had reached the Top-10 in the coaches poll for the first time in over a decade, have come crashing back down to Earth.

The Tigers have since dropped two games in a row, both on the road. Last Sunday LSU came up agonizingly short against Florida, losing 73-72, and Thursday night the Tigers were buried under a mountain of threes by the Razorbacks and lost 90-76. The 90 points were the most allowed since LSU’s loss to Florida Gulf Coast way back on November 14.

Now LSU hopes that the friendly confines of the PMAC will be just what they need to get back on track as the Tigers host a struggling Kentucky team (9-8, 2-5).

“We have to be prepared and understand, you’ve got to win some of these games down the stretch,” Kim Mulkey said. “We’re at the halfway point of the SEC. Let’s go see how many more of these things we can win.”

To say Kentucky is depleted would be an understatement. The Cats are not only playing their third road game this week, they only had six players available in Thursday’s game against Vanderbilt.

Sunday’s game should be ripe for the taking for LSU. Kentucky’s coming into Sunday’s game exhausted and just barely has enough players to put on the floor.

LSU also needs to get back to its winning ways as the women’s regular season is drawing to a close. Remember, the women play 16 SEC games, not 18 like the men. As it stands right now, LSU is in fifth place in the SEC standings at 5-3 and wouldn’t earn the double-bye for the SEC Tournament; and with a pretty tough month of February waiting for them (three games against ranked opponents including at #24 Ole Miss and at #4 Tennessee), Kim Mulkey’s squad needs to start stocking up on wins while they can.

Tipoff is scheduled for 1:00 P.M. and the game will be carried on SEC Network.