Nell Fortner is getting on the defensive.

The Auburn women’s basketball coach doesn’t have the array of scoring options she had last year, so the Tigers’ focus, in hopes of picking up their first SEC win of the season today at LSU, has shifted to defense.

“We have to be a better defensive team, there is no question,” Fortner said. “We have to consistently become a better defensive team.”

Auburn ranks 136th in the nation — eighth in the SEC — in scoring defense, allowing 61.9 points per game. That total isn’t terrible by any means, but certainly needs to get better, because the Tigers have cracked 80 points just once this year and have won just three games when allowing the opposition to score 60 or more points.

The Tigers face a steep test today against an LSU offense that has had no trouble hitting 60 on its way to a 13-1 start to the season.

“LSU is a very good team,” Fortner said. “They return everyone from last year and they are very experienced. Even though they are still young, they have a year’s experience under their belt with a lot of SEC minutes.”

Auburn won’t exactly be playing in the tamest of environments, either.

In hopes of filling the rafters for its first SEC home game of the season, LSU is selling tickets for just $1 in hopes of “packing” the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

“It is always tough playing on the road and playing at LSU is no easy feat,” Fortner said. “They have great fans and it is a tough environment to play in and we are going to have to go in there and play some good basketball.”

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