Members of the JSU women's basketball team celebrate their SWAC win.

Lady Tigers end season with NCAA tournament birth

By: Kenny Bunch, Sports Editor

Posted: 4/3/08

A long season for the Jackson State Lady Tigers ended on Saturday, March 22, as they were defeated by the LSU Lady Tigers in the first round of the NCAA Women's Tournament. However, the season ended on a much more successful note than it appeared with the loss. The Lady Tigers won the SWAC Championship for the seventh time in the last 26 years, and their first since 1995, with a 63-61 victory over Prairie View A&M in Birmingham, Ala. To go along with that SWAC title, the Lady Tigers were also awarded a #15 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the highest seed a Southwestern Athletic Conference team has been awarded since 1982. Usually, the team that wins the SWAC receives the tournament birth as a #16 seed, but Lady Tiger head coach Denise Taylor was happy that the selection committee felt her team deserved a higher seed.

"I definitely think it showed a little respect for this program," said Coach Taylor after watching her team's name pop up as the 15th seed. "I am so proud of these young ladies. They really deserve the credit."

Jackson State went on to lose to LSU 66-32 in Baton Rouge. Despite the lopsided outcome, the Lady Tigers were still able to take some positives away from the game. They held the SEC Player of the Year, Sylvia Fowles to 16 points, held LSU under their season point average, and forced 25 turnovers.

The Lady Tigers were led by SWAC Defensive Player of the Year Carena Easley, who had six points and 11 rebounds to go along with six steals. Easley, who was eighth in the nation in steals per game, averaging 3.43 over the season, also played 35 minutes for the Lady Tigers.

The Lady Tigers ended the 2007-2008 season on a very successful note, winning nine of their final 13 games, as well as a 6-1 record in the important month of February, which put them in great position to make a run for the SWAC Championship.

"We had a good season," said senior point guard and All-SWAC selection LaSheree Christian. "It (NCAA Tournament) was a good experience.

Christian has been the team leader all season, as a point guard should be. She led the team in scoring with 13.9 points per game, as well as in assists (4.2), and minutes (33.8). Her leadership was on display in the SWAC Tournament, when the senior played 45 minutes in JSU's double overtime win over Mississippi Valley State and all 40 minutes in the Lady Tigers' title win against Prairie View.

"I couldn't sit down at a time like that," said Christian about her minutes in the tournament. The tournament MVP was junior forward Erica Trahan, who had 20 points and 15 rebounds against Valley in the semifinal, and 17 points and 12 boards in the title game versus Prairie View. The NCAA Tournament game was played in Trahan's hometown of Baton Rouge.

The Lady Tigers finished the season with an 18-14 record, including a 16-5 conference record.