DATE: Saturday, March 22, 1997              TAG: 9703220448

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY VICKI L. FRIEDMAN, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: WEST LAFAYETTE, IND.              LENGTH:   75 lines

BATTLE-TESTED TIGERS AWAIT LADY MONARCHS NO. 9 LSU, OF THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE, IS OLD DOMINION'S FIRST RANKED FOE SINCE JANUARY.

Old Dominion, playing its first ranked opponent since January, will look to do its part to prevent a ``Battle of the Bayou'' this afternoon when it meets Louisiana State at noon in the Mideast Regional semifinal in Mackey Arena.

The top-seeded Lady Monarchs (31-1) are looking to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since winning their last national title in 1985. Their opponent in Monday's regional final would likely be second-seeded Louisiana Tech, which plays third-seeded Florida in today's second semifinal.

The Tigers (25-4), ranked ninth in the final AP poll, are making their first NCAA appearance since 1991. And while LSU is 16-0 in non-conference games this season, it's the conference victories it amassed in the sport's premier league, the Southeastern Conference, that led to its No. 4 seed here. The Tigers are 5-4 against ranked teams this season with wins over Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee and twice over Arkansas.

Coach Sue Gunter, voted SEC Coach of the Year, said LSU's schedule gives her team an edge only in that the Tigers are accustomed to being in marquee arenas.

``We've played in those settings many times this season, and it can be overwhelming if you haven't,'' she said.

Still, Gunter added, ``I don't think we match up particularly well with ODU. I think if you look at sheer physical size, it's no contest. We are a quick basketball team, so we will try and use that as much as possible.''

The Tigers suffered a major blow in their last game against Marquette, losing starting forward Keia Howell. The 6-foot-1 Howell, who averaged 6.5 points and 5.6 rebounds, tore her second anterior cruciate ligament in as many years and is lost for the postseason.

``She's our best interior defender and the one real banger we have inside,'' Gunter said. Howell was the only player to have started every game this season, and Gunter said, ``Any time you lose a starter it has a psychological impact.''

The Tigers have a lineup similar to that of Purdue, which gave ODU fits in Sunday's second-round game, in which the Lady Monarchs squeaked out a four-point win in overtime. Three LSU players, all junior-college transfers, average double-figure scoring: 5-9 guard Elaine Powell (18.1 ppg), 5-10 forward Pietra Gay (16.4 ppg) and 6-2 center Toni Gross (14.5 ppg). Gay leads a talented perimeter, shooting 45 percent from behind the arc in the last 17 games.

``They're not that big, but I think athletically they're comparable to Purdue,'' ODU coach Wendy Larry said of the Tigers. ``However, I think their perimeter is more athletic. Their post game complements them well because they're good jumpers and good putback scorers.''

Like the Lady Monarchs, the Tigers rely on defense, limiting opponents to 38.3 percent shooting from the field.

``They full-court press because of their speed and quickness,'' Larry said, ``and they have a tremendous unstructured transition game.''

ODU, which is without a road victory in the tournament since beating North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 1987, will start an ailing Ticha Penicheiro. As in last year's loss to Virginia in the Sweet 16, Penicheiro is battling chest congestion and a sore throat.

The focus of ODU's offense this season has been the inside play of 6-3 center Nyree Roberts and 6-5 forward Clarisse Machanguana. Both are in the top five in the nation in field-goal percentage, and together they average 38.1 points.

Even before Howell was hurt, the Tigers were at a size disadvantage in the paint. Without her, LSU will have to rely more on quickness, having no doubt studied videotape of ODU's most recent game to pick up on what an undersized Purdue team did to disrupt the Lady Monarchs' offense.

But when the teams take the court today, LSU won't be playing Purdue's game.

``We just have to play LSU basketball,'' Gay said. ``They're a good team, but we can't be scared. This is the reason we came to LSU, so we are going to out and play the best we can.''

Added Gunter: ``We are going with the same game plan we have used all year. How many changes can you make this time of year? Somehow, whatever we've done has gotten us to this point. You have to dance with what brung you.''

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