Alabama knocks off Lady Rebs, MSU women fall at LSU

By Staff
From staff, wire reports
JAN. 29, 2001
Alabama's Beth Vice hit four free throws in the final 28 seconds as the Crimson Tide got by Ole Miss 67-64 Sunday afternoon at Tad Smith Coliseum.
With the loss, Ole Miss drops to 13-6 overall and 1-5 in Southeastern Conference play, while Alabama improves to 15-5 overall and 3-4 in the SEC.
Alabama led 63-61 with 28 seconds left in the game, when Ole Miss head coach Ron Aldy received a technical foul. Vice made both free throws and the Crimson Tide led by four.
Von Kirk led Ole Miss with 18 points, one shy of her career-high, on 5-of-11 shooting from the field and four 3-pointers. Becky Myatt added 13 points and TaShondrea Moton chipped in 11 points and six rebounds.
The Lady Rebels go to arch-rival Mississippi State Thursday at 7 p.m.
No. 11 LSU 78, Mississippi State 54: Marie Ferdinand scored 25 points to lead No. 11 LSU past struggling Mississippi State.
It was the 23rd straight game that Ferdinand has scored in double figures stretching back to the NCAA tournament last season. LSU (14-5, 5-2 SEC) is 17-6 during that stretch.
Ferdinand, who left the game with just over 3 minutes to go, also had 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals against Mississippi State (10-9, 1-7). She had 19 points in LSU's 70-63 victory over the Bulldogs earlier in the month.
Kesha Tardy matched her career high with 20 points for LSU including some key baskets in the first half to get the Lady Tigers going. Tardy, a former Jackson Murrah standout, grabbed 8 rebounds as LSU outrebounded the bigger Lady Bulldogs 40-31.
April Brown and Kisha James each had 12 points for the Tigers.
Mississippi State struggled against LSU's defense, shooting only 36 percent from the field. LaToya Thomas scored 15 points for Mississippi State and had nine rebounds. Jennifer Fambrough had 11 points.
LSU opened the game shooting 14 percent (1-7) over the first 4:32 but tied the game at 6-6 on two free throws by Tardy.
Tardy put the Tigers ahead for the first time with a bucket two minutes later that made it 12-10. LSU took the lead for good with 9:40 remaining in the first half on a layup by Tardy that made it 16-14.
The Tigers led 34-20 at the half.