BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU's Sylvia Fowles normally dunks during the team's walkthrough on game day.

She wasn't permitted to do so prior to the Lady Tigers' game against Louisiana-Lafayette, but made up for it in the game, becoming the sixth player in women's college basketball history to dunk as sixth-ranked LSU defeated Louisiana-Lafayette 72-37 on Wednesday night.

With 9:29 remaining in the first half, Fowles stole the ball from Bronson Rodgers and drove slightly more than half the court before dunking from the right side.

"I did it probably because (LSU assistant) coach (Bob) Starkey didn't let me do it today in pre-practice," Fowles said. "It made me feel good. It can happen again. I just had to get that first one out."

The other five women college basketball players who have dunked in a game were Georganne Wells of West Virginia, Charlotte Smith of North Carolina, Sancho Lyttle of Houston, and Michelle Snow and Candace Parker, both of Tennessee.

"What a play," said LSU coach Van Chancellor, referring to Fowles' dunk. "It was not a cheap dunk. It was not a set-up dunk. She stole the basketball and the little guard challenged her. She then went up and dunked."

Fowles, a 6-6 senior, recorded her milestone as former teammates Seimone Augustus and Temeka Johnson watched.

"I told them that I was going to do it while they were at LSU with me. I just went up and it happened. I wanted to show the fans that I can really get up over the rim," Fowles said.

Chancellor is hoping the dunk will change Fowles' attitude on the floor.

"We've talked to her about dunking the ball," Chancellor said. "I hope that changes her mentality. We really want her to dominate the game. Maybe, that dunk will make her aggressive and she'll quit being so nice."

Fowles was the leading scorer in the game with 21 points. She also grabbed 12 rebounds and was 7-of-8 from the foul line. Erica White finished with 11 points, while Allison Hightower came off the bench and added 10.

Whitney Dunlap led the Ragin' Cajuns (1-3) with 12 points. Sonora Edwards added 10 points before fouling out late in the game.

Louisiana-Lafayette committed 26 turnovers, resulting in 33 points for LSU.

"We got beat by a buzz saw," said UL-Lafayette coach Errol Rogers, who added he loved Fowles' dunk.

"I just couldn't smile at the time. It's great for women's college basketball for her to do it."

LSU (4-1) took control of the game with a 17-0 run during a 5½ minute span of the first half. A field goal by Ashley Thomas with 14:43 remaining before halftime broke a 4-4 tie and started the surge.

During that run, Fowles made her dunk and added another basket. Hightower made a pair of 3-pointers, while White connected on two foul shots and a field goal. A free throw by Quianna Chaney with 9:18 to go completed the spurt.

Louisiana-Lafayette cut its deficit to nine points before the Lady Tigers closed the half on a 15-4 run. Fowles and White combined for all but two of those points as LSU built a 36-16 halftime advantage.