Da Boot Sports
3/31/2023
By: Terrill J. Weil


​   DALLAS, TX - The LSU Lady Tigers (33-2) have advanced to the national championship game for the first time in the history of the program. 
   
   LSU went into the fourth quarter trailing Virginia Tech, 59-50. But Angel Reese and Alexis Morris led a furious comeback as the Tigers outscored the Hookies, 29-13 over the final ten minutes to win the game 79-72.

   “I came home for lots of reasons, one to someday hang a championship banner in the PMAC,” Mulkey said. “Never, ever do you think you’re going to do something like this in two years.”
   
   The Lady Tigers opened the game playing great defense, keeping the Virginia Tech offense out of sync, taking a 16-13 lead into the second quarter. 

   It looked like LSU was taking control of the game late in the second period when Alexis Morris hit a jumper to put LSU up by nine, 32-23 with 4:49 left in the first half, but the Hookies answered, going on a 11-0 run to take a 34-32 lead at the half. 

   Virginia Tech opened the second half with a 9-3 run to take a nine point advantage at the 8:03 mark, and would continue to control the contest through the entire period, outscoring LSU 25-18 over the ten minute span.

    “It’s crazy that I’m sitting up here,” Mulkey said. “It’s crazy we’re getting ready to play for a
​national championship. I keep wanting to call somebody to say ‘tell me how we did this in two years.’ Nine new pieces.”

   Alexis Morris led the Tigers with 27 points. Angel Reese finished with her 33rd double-double of the season, scoring 24 points while grabbing 12 rebounds. LaDazhia Williams added 16 points. 
   
​   LSU will face the Iowa Hawkeyes for the national championship on Sunday, April 2 at 2:00pm CST. 

​*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

Da Boot Sports
3/26/2023
By: Terrill J. Weil


   GREENVILLE, S.C. - LSU is headed to the Final Four for the first time since 2008. The Tigers overcame a poor offensive performance by playing suffocating defense all night long as they defeated a pesky Miami team,
54-42 on Sunday evening in Greenville, South Carolina. 

   On a night when Angel Reese was off offensively, Alexis Morris stepped up to lead the Tigers with 21 points. Reese finished with her 32nd double-double of the season, 13 points and 18 rebounds, a new SEC record. 

   Both teams displayed sloppy play in the first ten minutes of the contest. The game was scoreless before LSU got on the board first at the 8:33 mark on a Alexis Morris driving layup. 

   Defensively, LSU held the Hurricanes scoreless until Jasmyne Roberts banked in a layup with 6:20 left in the first quarter to tie the game at 2-2. 

   The Lady Tigers found themselves trailing 8-4 at the 3:29 mark before outscoring Miami 6-0 to end
the opening period, taking a 10-8 lead into the second quarter. 

   The second period saw both teams begin to settle down. The game remained close and competitive with three ties and three lead changes until LSU began to pull away over the final 3:23 of the half, going on a 8-2 run to take a 26-20 lead into the halftime break. 

   The difference between the two team's over the first 20 minutes was Miami struggled due to a
very aggressive LSU defense, while the Tigers shooting woes were self inflicted by several missed layup and wide open looks at the basket. 

   LSU started the third quarter with sloppy play before getting back on track. With 6:21 left in the period, the Tigers held a 28-23 lead before a Flau'jae Johnson jumper kicked off a 10-4 run, giving LSU an 11 point lead, 38-27 at the end of the quarter. 

   The Tigers began the fourth quarter by extending their lead to 43-27, thanks to a 5-0 run as
​LaDazhia Williams banked in a layup, then Kateri Poole hit a three pointer, the only three point shot made in the game by either team.  

   Over the next three minutes Miami sparked an 8-0 run to cut the LSU lead in half, pulling to within eight,
43-35. But that's as close as the Hurricanes would get as the Tigers began to overwhelm Miami on both ends of the floor, finishing the game on a 11-7 run for the 54-42 victory. 

   LSU (32-2) will play the winner of the Virginia Tech vs. Ohio State game in the Final Four on Friday, March 31st at either 6 or 8pm CST at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
​

​*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

A huge Thank You to Cardio Health Solutions owned by Ron Sancho for sponsoring our publication!
​

Da Boot Sports
3/24/2023
By: Terrill J. Weil
   

   GREENVILLE, SC - The Lady Tigers advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2008 as they defeated the Utah Utes, 66-63 in a exciting game that went down to the final shot. 

   LaDazhia Williams had a great game to led the Tigers with 24 points. Angel Reese finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Alexis Morris scored 15. Kateri Poole added eight points and Flau'Jae Johnson scored two. 

   “I just thought it was two heavyweights going at it, and that’s what I told their coach after the game,” said second-year LSU Coach Kim Mulkey who, in her second season in Baton Rouge, has the Tigers on the doorstep of a Final Four. “I said, somebody had to win and somebody had to lose. We just made a few more plays.”
​   
   LSU controlled the first four minutes of the contest, building a 13-6 lead with 6:01 left in the first quarter.  Utah would settle down and slowly chip away at the LSU lead.
   Kennady McQueen hit a three pointer with 32 seconds in the quarter, giving Utah their first lead of the game, 16-15. 
   Angel Reese would sink one of two free throw attempts with three second remaining to even the score at 16-16 as the first quarter ended. 

   Utah drew first blood to begin the second quarter as McQueen hit another three pointer to give Utah a 19-16 advantage. The Utes would go on a 6-2 run over the next two minutes to extend their lead to 25-18 at the 5:50 mark. 
   LSU would answer with a run of their own, outscoring Utah, 9-2 to tie the game at 27-27 with 3:23 left in the first half. 
   It was shaping up to be a game of runs as Utah took their turn, answering back with a 6-2 run over the final 2:33 of the second quarter to take a 33-29 lead into the halftime break.

   LaDazhia Williams led the Tigers at the half with nine points, while Alexis Morris added eight. Angel Reese finished the first half with five points and four rebounds as she spend most of the second quarter on the bench with two fouls. 
   The first half stats were pretty even with the difference coming from behind the three point line. LSU hit only
1-5 for 20% while Utah sank 5-14 for 34.7%. 


   LSU began the second half like they did the first quarter, controlling the game early in the period as they outscored Utah, 8-4 to tie the game at 37-37 at the 7:37 mark. 
   Both teams played even over the next seven minutes. But with LSU leading 46-44, Isabel Palmer hit a three pointer with 20 seconds left to give Utah a 47-44 lead at the end of the third. 
   Angel Reese stepped up her play in the third period as she headed to the final quarter with 14 points and ten rebounds for her 31st double-double of the season to tie a SEC record. 

   LaDazhia Williams scored the first four points of the fourth quarter to put LSU up 50-47 with 7:59 left in the contest. 
   Utah finally shifted their offense in gear, going on a 5-0 run, going up 52-50 at the 5:53 mark. 
   The game of streaks continued as the Bayou Ben-Gals responded with a 5-0 of their own, with a three pointer by Kateri Poole, followed by a LaDazhia Williams layup, regaining the lead, 55-52 with 5:00 left.
   After LSU extended their lead to 60-52, Utah raced back on a 9-1 run to grab the lead, 63-61 with 56 seconds  remaining in the contest. 
   Trailing 63-62 with 10 seconds left, Alexis Morris calmly sank two free throws to give LSU the lead, 64-63.
   Utah's Jenna Johnson was fouled by Angel Reese with four seconds left. Johnson missed both free throws and Sa'Myah Smith came away with the ball off the miss with two ticks left. 
   Alexis Morris was quickly fouled with no time running off the clock on the inbound play, sending her to the line. Morris hit both charity shots, increasing the lead to 66-63. Utah's final shot at the buzzer was way off target giving LSU the victory. 
​

​*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

A huge Thank You to Cardio Health Solutions owned by Ron Sancho for sponsoring our publication!
​

Da Boot Sports
3/19/2023
By: Terrill J. Weil


   BATON ROUGE, LA - The Lady Tigers return to the PMAC on Sunday evening for round two of the Baton Rouge Regional, dismantling 6th seed Michigan, 66-42 to punch their ticket to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in nine years.  

   It was a tight first quarter of play, but thanks to Angel Reese's 6 points and 10 rebounds along with
a suffocating defense that held the Wolverines scoreless over the final five and a half minutes of the quarter, LSU took a 12-7 lead into the second period.

   The Lady Tigers began the second quarter with raised intensity, going on a 11-2 run to extend their lead
to 23-9 at the 6:23 mark. 

   With Reese working the Michigan team over and the LSU defense forcing nine first half turnovers, the Lady
Tigers would take a 30-15 lead into the locker room at the break. 

   Reese registered her 30th double-double of the season in the first half, scoring 13 while grabbing
14 rebounds. Jasmine Carson scored 9 points, LaDazhia Williams added 6 and Alexis Morris finished the first 20 minutes with 2 points. 
   LSU shot 12-41 from the floor for 29.3% and 3-13 from three point territory for 23.1% while sinking 3-4 free throws for 75%. The Lady Tigers owned the boards in the first half, outrebounding Michigan 28-13.

   The Wolverines showed poise to began the second half scoring first five points in the first minute of the third quarter to cut LSU's lead to 30-20.

   LSU finally scored their first basket of the quarter when Reese banked in a layup and was fouled at the 5:39 mark. Reese missed the free throw, but LSU rebounded the miss and Kateri Poole hit a three pointer to give the Lady Tigers a 35-22 lead. 

   The Bayou Ben-Gals lead 47-31 at the end of the third quarter as they outscored Michigan, 12-9 over the final 6:10 of the period. 

   LSU pressed down on the accelerator and never looked back in the fourth quarter, scoring 19 points, playing physical defense and dominating the boards, for the 66-42 victory.

   Angel Reese was simply dominating all game long finishing with 25 points and 24 rebounds. Alexis Morris finished with 11 points, Williams scored 10, Carson with 9, Flau'jae Johnson added 8 and Poole finished with 3 points. 
   The Lady Tigers finished the contest shooting 24-68 from the floor for 35.3% while sinking 6-19 from behind the arc for 31.6% and shooting 80% from the charity stripe hitting 12-15.  LSU's aggressive defense forced 16 total turnovers and the Lady Tigers outrebounded the Wolverines, 46-26.

   Next up LSU will move on to the Sweet Sixteen where they will face Utah on March 24th, TBA.

Photos Below By: Jonathan Mailhes

​*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

A huge Thank You to Cardio Health Solutions owned by Ron Sancho for sponsoring our publication!
​

Da Boot Sports
3/17/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   BATON ROUGE — Despite facing double teams throughout the contest, LSU all-American Angel Reese led the Tigers into the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a record-setting performance, 73-50, over No. 14-seeded Hawai’i on Friday at the Maravich Center.Reese completed her 29th double double of the 2022-23 season with a 34 points along with 15 rebounds. She made 13-of-20 field goals and 8-of-12 free throws in 36 minutes.

The 34-point effort tied LSU’s NCAA Tournament single-game record, which was set by Mari Ferdinand at Purdue in 2001.

Third-seeded LSU (29-2) will play host to No. 6 seed Michigan on Sunday at the Maravich Center for a chance to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2014.

Game time and television network for the second round game are expected to be announced early Saturday. A limited number of tickets are available at www.LSUtix.net.

Hawai’i, which was held to 30.8 percent shooting, completed its season with an 18-15 record.

The Rainbow Wahine were able to contain the rest of the Tigers, holding those not named Reese to 14-of-42 shooting. Flau'jae Johnson (10 points) Alexis Morris (6) finished below their season averages, while LaDazhia Williams had nine points on 4-of-7 shooting.

Reese was dominant on both ends of the court, adding three steals and three blocked shots to the tally. She also moved into third on LSU’s single-season rebounding list (479) and into a tie for eighth on LSU single-season scoring list (735).

LSU finished 27-of-62 shooting (43.5 percent) including 1-of-14 from three-point range. The Tigers made 18-of-25 free throws, out-rebounded Hawai’i (40-33) and scored 20 points off 21 turneovers.

After briefly trailing in the opening minutes, LSU stepped up its defensive pressure which resulted in a 12-0 run and a 16-5 lead with 43 seconds remaining in the first quarter. A pair of free throws by Johnson to close the quarter gave the Tigers an 18-7 advantage, as LSU scored 10 points off eight first-quarter turnovers by the Rainbow Wahine.

Reese scored her 10th point with a layup at the 9:14 mark of the second quarter, giving LSU a 20-9 advantage. Hawai’i’s Meilani McBee made her 50th three pointer of the season to bring the visitors within seven, 29-22, with 3:06 left in the half. LSU then scored the last six points of the period and earned its largest lead in the opening 20 minutes, 35-22.

Along with 13 points off turnovers, the Tigers overcame 1-of-9 three-point shooting with 24 points in the paint prior to halftime. Hawai’i managed only 26.9 percent shooting (7 of 26), as leading scorer Lily Wahinekapu led the way with four field goals and nine points.

A pair of Hawai’i three pointers early in the third quarter kept the game tense. Meanwhile, Reese scored the Tigers’ first nine points of the half and gave LSU a 44-30 lead with 4:01 remaining. Despite both teams struggling from the field in the quarter, LSU increased its lead to 15, 48-33.

LSU starting guard and second-leading scorer Alexis Morris was 0-for-6 and scoreless for more than 31 minutes before making three-straight fourth-quarter field goals to spark the Tigers’ offense with a 10-0 run and a 58-35 advantage with 7:26 to play. Hawai’i got no closer than 18 in the closing minutes.

Photos Below By: Jonathan Mailhes

Photos Below By: Michael Bacigalupi

Da Boot Sports
3/4/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   GREENVILLE, S.C. — After LSU jumped out to a double-figure lead early in Saturday’s SEC Tournament semi-final, the Lady Vols came back to hand the Tigers their second loss of the season, 69-67, preventing LSU from advancing to Sunday’s championship game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. 

LSU had a fast start and led by as many as 17 and by 14 at the half, but Tennessee switched to a zone defense at the half and clawed back with a strong second half. The Lady Vols tied the game at 56 with 6:40 remaining in the fourth quarter. Then with 5:10 left the Lady Vols took their first lead of the game and wouldn’t trail again.

Down one with the game winding down, LSU had the ball with the shot clock turned off. LSU got the ball to Angel Reese in the high post and as she drove down the right side of the lane was called for an offensive hooking foul. Tennessee made the ensuing free throws and Alexis Morris missed a half court buzzer beater that would have won the game if it had gone in.

With 22 points and 11 rebounds, Reese set the LSU program record with 28 double-doubles in a single season. Sylvia Fowles held the record since the 2006-07 season. Morris scored 20 points and had 5 assists. 

After LSU scored 40 points in the first half and seemingly had the game under control, Tennessee switched to a zone that threw LSU’s offense into a funk, only scoring 27 points in the second half. 

“We came out the gate smoking,” Coach Kim Mulkey said. “So we go against a zone. It’s not like we haven’t seen a zone this year. It was almost like we were just tired. No one flashed. No one moved. No one screened the zone. We had no dribble penetration to make two take you. We had no ball reversal, nothing. We just relied on the shot clock winding down, set a pick, jack a shot up.

“Was that fatigue? I don’t know. But we attack zones every day in practice and it affected us. Their press did not affect us; their zone affected us. We will continue as we prepare for the playoffs to attack zones.”

The Lady Vols also stabilized themselves offensively. LSU forced 14 turnovers in the first half, but then Tennessee only committed four in the second half and possessed the ability to get the shots it wanted.

Rickea Jackson led all scorers with 26 points and 10 rebounds and was one of two Volunteers to record double doubles, her fourth this season. The other was Jordan Hortson who put up 17 and hauled in 10 boards for her 8th double-double of the season. Jillian Hollingshead and Tess Darby were the other two Vols in double figures with 11 and 10, respectively. 

Morris picked up right where she left off on Friday by leading a 6-0 run with 5 points through two minutes of the opening quarter. At the first media timeout LSU led 12-6 and both Morris and Reese recorded 5 points in the first 5 minutes. The Tigers allowed a Hollingshead jumper and then proceeded to go on a 6-0 run on 5-7 from the field to force a Lady Vol timeout. The LSU defense held Tennessee scoreless for three minutes and took a 22-10 lead into the second quarter. 

The Tigers shot 59-percent in the first quarter and outrebounded the Volunteers 12-7. Tennessee went 4-16 from the field and 0-2 from deep in the first ten minutes.  

Kateri Poole opened the second quarter with a triple to take a 15-point lead, Johnson followed with a pullup jumper off a Tennessee turnover. After a UT timeout the Vols put together a 8-2 run to cut the deficit to 11 with 6:37 to play before the half. A Darby three put UT within 12, but Last-Tear Poa responded with a three-point play off a tough floater and a made free throw. LSU headed into the break with a 40-26 lead 

At the half Morris led LSU with 13 points and Reese ended the half with 11 points and 7 boards. LSU combined for 10 steals and forced 13 turnovers in the first 20 minutes of action. The Tigers finished the first two quarters shooting 52-percent compared to UT’s 30. LSU scored more than half of its points inside the paint (24). 

The Lady Vols outscored LSU 9-4 in the opening five minutes of the third quarter to cut the 1ead and put themselves back within double figures. LSU was held scoreless for 3:30 ahead of the media timeout with 4:39 remaining in the quarter. After the timeout Darby was fouled shooting from beyond the arch and made all three of her shots from the arch to put UT six away for the first time since seven minutes into the contest. A couple of free throws from Jackson and a Hollingshead layup made it 42-45 with just over two minutes left in the quarter. 
LSU was outscored 21-11 in the third quarter and shot 19-percent (3-16), Tenneesse went 8-8 from the charity stripe and shot 50-percent from the field to head into the final quarter down by four, 51-47. 

A Johnson triple two minutes in put the Tigers up by seven but 7 straight points from the Vols made it a tie ball game for the first time since tip-off. Tennessee took its first lead of the night with five minutes remaining in regulation. Reese knotted things back up (60-60) with an inside layup and theTigers called a timeout to regroup. 

​Morris earned her first points of the second half with a top of the key with 3:04 to play and cut the Lady Vol lead to one. Inside a minute and a half Morris picked up another steal and went coast to coast to put LSU within one-point. UT gathered an offensive board and called a timeout with 40-seconds left in regulation. An offensive foul was called on Reese and Tennessee called a timeout with 12-seconds to go. ​

Da Boot Sports
3/3/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   ​GREENVILLE, S.C. — The No. 4 (No. 2-seed) LSU Tigers took down No.7-seed Georgia Bulldogs to move on to the conference semifinals. The 83-69 win tied a season high 11 three-pointers and saw a 46-minute delay in the second quarter. 

The 11 three-pointers made (on 22 attempts) is tied for the most by an LSU team in SEC Tournament history. LSU shot the ball well all night, sinking 50-percent of its shots from the field. Four Tigers finished in double figures. 

“We trusted in each other,” Alexis Morris said of the shooting performance. “We trusted in our shot, and we came out confident tonight.”

“We’ve all been in the gym working,” Flau’jae Johnson added, “so it just showed when the lights turned on.”
The victory also marked head coach Kim Mulkey’s first SEC tournament win in her second season with the Tigers. In her first SEC Tournament appearance last year eventual tournament champion Kentucky knocked LSU out in the quarterfinals. 

“We lost and Kentucky went on to win the whole thing, so that kinda softened the blow that they won it,” Coach Mulkey said. “But as a competitor you have to have goals, and our goal was to win one game here. We’ve done that now. Can we win the next one? Can we get to the championship? You get a little bit greedy.”

LSU will matchup against No. 3-seeded Tennessee Saturday in the tournament’s semifinals. The Lady Vols took down Kentucky late Friday night to set up Saturday’s showdown. In the other semifinal No. 1-seed South Carolina and No. 4-seed Ole Miss will meet at 4:30 p.m. CT and LSU’s game will start 25 minutes after that game’s conclusion on ESPNU.

In LSU’s first game against Tennessee, the Tigers won 76-68 and Morris scored a career-high 31 points. Reese had 18 points and 17 rebounds. 

Morris led all scorers Friday night with 28 points, tying a career-high with five threes on nine attempts. She made her first three point attempts to set the tone for the night. Morris also dished out 4 assists and had 2 steals
Johnson, the SEC Freshman of the Year, stepped up in her first SEC Tournament appearance. Johnson had 21 points and made five threes and also had 3 assists and a block.

“I saw a relaxed kid,” Coach Mulkey said of Johnson’s performance. “I saw a confident player. Her first few shots, when they went in, you just saw a kid go back to relaxing a little bit. Flau’jae is an entertainer. She is an entertainer both in her music and she is an entertainer on that floor, and she is a happy kid.”

Two other Tigers scored in double-figures. Angel Reese dropped 15 and hauled in 6 boards. LaDahzia Williams added 10 points and 7 rebounds. Both were taken out in the fourth quarter with 4 fouls a piece. 

Alissa Lewis came off the bench to lead the Bulldogs with 14 points and 11 assists, her first career double-double. Javyn Nicholson also came off the bench to follow with 11 points and 5 boards. Brittney Smith was the only Georgia starter to reach double figures with 10. 

LSU held Diamond Battles to just 7 points on 2-12 (0-6 3FG) from the field. In their last meeting Battles scored 22 in a close game that went into overtime back in early February. 

Morris led the way with 3 three-pointers in the first four minutes to take a 14-4 lead over the Bulldogs. Jonson hit a corner three on LSU’s final possession to regain the ten point lead ahead of the second quarter. The Tigers finished the half shooting 5-6 from the field and put up 5 three pointers in the opening quarter, 3 from Morris and 2 from Johnson. 

In LSU’s last outing the Tigers were not able to connect on a single three pointer in the regular season finale against Mississippi State. Morris led the Tigers with 9 points and 4 assists. 

Georgia started the second quarter with a 7-0 run to cut the LSU lead to four. Morris earned her fourth triple of the night to halt the run. The Bulldogs responded with a three of their own and a jumper to put them back within four. Morris moved her point total to 15 after going 3-3 from the foul line and a Johnson three put LSU ahead by ten for the second time. 

At the media timeout with 4:23 left in the second quarter, the officials stopped play as inclement weather outside of the arena made its way onto the playing surface through a leak in the roof. The delay lasted 46 minutes.

Morris stayed hot and hit a mid range jumper to restart the contest. Both teams were then held scoreless until UGA’s Alissa Lewis hit a triple with 36 seconds to play before the half. LaDazhia Williams followed with a put back to give LSU a 46-35 lead before time expired. 

​The Tigers went 7-12 from deep and shot 50-percent from the field. Georgia totaled 52-percent and was 3-5 from behind the arc. The Bulldog bench stepped up in the first half, accounting for 24 of UGA’s 35.