STARKVILLE - LSU was trailing on the road with its leading scorer on the bench injured and its other top player gimpy and off her game.
That's when Temeka Johnson took over for the fourth-ranked Lady Tigers.
Johnson had 19 points, eight in the final seven minutes, as LSU rallied to beat No. 12 Mississippi State 77-72 on Sunday.
"I think Temeka spearheaded the last few minutes," LSU coach Sue Gunter said. "It's like she said, 'I don't want to lose today,' and her teammates came with her."
LaToya Thomas carried Mississippi State with 32 points and 11 rebounds, but couldn't prevent the Lady Bulldogs (16-6, 5-4 Southeastern Conference) from losing at home for the first time in nine tries this season.
"We let this one slip away," Thomas said.
Ke-Ke Tardy scored 15 and Doneeka Hodges added 14 points for the Lady Tigers (20-1, 8-1), who won their fifth straight with top scorers Seimone Augustus and Aiysha Smith providing little offense.
Augustus, the team's leading scorer, was 3-for-10 from the floor for six points and sat out the final six minutes after landing awkwardly on her right leg and limping off the court. LSU was trailing 61-58 when she exited with the ankle injury.
Smith shot 4-for-12 from the field, playing limited minutes on a sore right ankle that she hurt Thursday against South Carolina.
"We don't focus on Seimone getting points," Johnson said. "Seimone is a great player, but everybody on our team can score. Tonight it just happened to be me."
With 13:12 left and the Lady Bulldogs leading 50-45, Thomas picked up her third foul and went to the bench, having scored six of Mississippi State's previous eight points.
LSU tried containing Thomas with double teams, but her ability to score inside and outside made it near impossible.
"LaToya will beat you by herself. She'll get 80," Gunter said.
Thomas, the SEC's second-leading scorer, was on the bench for a little more than a minute before re-entering with the lead still at five points, 53-48.
After trailing by as many as 12 in the first half, the Lady Tigers took their first lead of the game, 63-61, when Johnson assisted on Hodges' 3-pointer with 4:58 left.
Thomas drove baseline to get the lead back for Mississippi State moments later, but it was the last time the Lady Bulldogs would go ahead.
Wendlyn Jones scored off an offensive rebound, then Johnson sank two free throws with 2:36 left to put LSU up 69-65.
After Thomas hit two free throws, Johnson made a sharp cut to the basket to get open for an easy layup with 1:32 left to make it 71-67.
Smith, who scored 13 points, then made her biggest contribution, sinking all four free throws she took in the final minute.
Johnson made two more to complete to comeback victory.
Thomas and Tan White, the SEC's third leading scorer, led the way for Mississippi State in the first half.
The two high scorers combined for 24 points, but both also picked up two fouls each. Thomas' came early and forced her to play just 15 minutes in the half.
She made the most of it, scoring 14 points on a variety of post moves and pull-up jumpers. The All-American also had five rebounds and three assists.
But LSU was able to slowly trim the lead and got to 36-33 when Johnson dropped in a short jumper with 2 seconds left in the half.
"As bad as we played in the first half, going in down three was phenomenal," Johnson said.
White scored 12 points, but only had two on a pair of free throws in the second half and finished 4-for-16 from the field.
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