BATON ROUGE, La. (Interstat) — The surging LSU Tigers, ranked among the nation’s elite, will host a struggling Tennessee squad seeking a season-defining upset when the Southeastern Conference women’s basketball powers meet Thursday night at the Maravich Assembly Center. LSU (23-4) enters the contest with momentum, having won five of its last six games. The Tigers are coming off a dominant 108-55 victory over Missouri on Sunday, a game in which star guard MiLaysia Fulwiley posted a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Fulwiley has been a consistent force, averaging 19.3 points over her last three contests and providing elite defensive play with multiple blocks in four of her last six outings. Tennessee (16-10), meanwhile, looks to halt a four-game skid. The Lady Volunteers fell 100-93 in a high-scoring affair at Oklahoma last Sunday. Despite the loss, forward Jaida Civil turned in her best performance of the season, logging a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Civil’s production will be critical for a Tennessee team that has found victories hard to come by in recent weeks, having lost seven of its last nine games. The matchup pits one of the conference’s most potent offenses against a Tennessee team searching for defensive answers. LSU has scored 90 or more points in four of its last six home games, showcasing a balanced attack led by Fulwiley, ZaKiyah Johnson and Mikaylah Williams. Tennessee has allowed an average of 86.5 points during its current four-game losing streak. Historically, this series is a cornerstone of SEC women’s basketball, and the Tigers will be heavily favored on their home floor. For Tennessee, a win in Baton Rouge would provide a crucial Quadrant 1 victory to bolster its NCAA tournament resume. For LSU, it represents another opportunity to solidify its standing as a top national seed. The game is scheduled for an 8 p.m. EST tip-off on Thursday, Feb. 26.