West Regional

Nightingale helps Colorado eliminate LSU

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) -- Mandy Nightingale scored 20 points and Tera Bjorklund had 13 of her 17 points in the second half, leading Colorado past LSU 69-58 Sunday night in NCAA women's West Regional second-round play.

Colorado (23-9), the No. 3 seed, advances to the regional semifinal in Boise, Idaho, against the winner of Monday night's Tulane-Stanford game.

Nightingale, whose 17 first-half points staked Colorado to a 37-27 lead at the break, hit only one basket in the second half, but it was a 3-pointer with 5:30 left that gave Colorado a 61-50 lead.

Doneeka Hodges, who led LSU with 23 points, scored the Tigers' first seven points of the second half during a 12-2 run that produced a 39-39 tie.

Bjorklund, playing 31 minutes in place of injured starting center Britt Hartshorn, hit a free throw to put Colorado ahead for good at 42-41. Bjorklund then scored eight straight Colorado points as the Buffaloes built a 58-48 lead with 6:40 remaining, and Nightingale hit her 3-pointer a minute later.

LSU (18-12), the No. 6 seed, got no closer than seven points after that.

Colorado hit 13 consecutive free throws in the final 10 minutes.

Two 3-pointers by Nightingale and one by Jenny Roulier put the Buffaloes ahead 11-4 with 12:57 left in the first half.

The Tigers, dressing only seven players, countered with a 13-2 run, starting and ending on 3-pointers by Hodges, to take a 17-13 lead. It included a three-point play by Aiysha Smith, who beat a double team on a layup.

Colorado outscored LSU 24-10 over the remainder of the half. The taller Buffaloes, who had failed to establish an inside presence against the quicker Tigers, got their first inside basket on a layup by Bjorklund with 10:00 remaining.

The Buffaloes scored 11 consecutive points, including Nightingale's driving layup and her two 15-foot jumpers, for a 34-25 lead. After LSU's Temeka Johnson hit a baseline jumper, Nightingale followed with a 3-pointer with four seconds left.

 

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