 Photo By: Jonathan Mailhes Da Boot Sports 3/24/2024 By: Jason Watson Jr. BATON ROUGE, LA- The LSU Women’s Basketball team is sweet again! Kim Mulkey’s squad defeated the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 83-56 in the Round of 32 on Sunday in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Angel Reese finished with a 20-point, 11-rebound performance. Flau’jae Johnson led the way for the Tigers with 21 points in the victory. LSU won the opening tip-off, but an empty possession for both teams came about. After a Middle Tennessee shot clock violation, LSU’s Aneesah Morrow and MTSU’s Savannah Wheeler traded back-to-back baskets. Ta’Mia Scott knocked down a big three-point shot to put the Blue Raiders up 7-4, but Angel Reese responded by running downhill and earning herself an and-one opportunity. Reese would miss the FTA, but a fastbreak layup from Flau’jae Johnson and a Mikaylah Williams jumper put LSU in front 10-7, heading to the first official timeout. Jalynn Gregory and Last-Tear Poa exchanged triples before Morrow got in on the action, draining one of her own. As the first quarter clock wound down, a pair of free throws from Johnson and a Wheeler three-pointer closed out the frame with LSU leading 20-15. LSU got a much better start to this game than they had against Rice in the first round, as they only turned the ball over once in the opening quarter. The Tigers and Angel Reese got the second-quarter scoring started with an inside layup through contact. Scott got multiple buckets back for the Raiders through a trey and second-chance lay-in. Wheeler took advantage of her first trip to the charity stripe, sinking both. She made it a two-point deficit. After making a tough layup, Reese used her size to get another chance at a free throw attempt. After another missed free throw, Middle Tennessee made a run to the lead, holding the Tigers to no field goals made over 2:15 plus. MTSU took a 29-26 lead into an official timeout with 3:20 left in the first half. Johnson made two FTA out of the timeout, but Morrow picked up her second foul on the other side, sending Courtney Whitson to the line for MTSU. Whitson converted both, getting the points back. Johnson found a rhythm, scoring again on the offensive end. She made a long midrange attempt for two, pulling LSU to within one. Ta’Mia Scott put the Blue Raiders on her back, scoring off a turnover and then stepping into a wide-open triple. Middle Tennessee would take a six-point lead, 36-30. On LSU’s final possession in the first half, Mikaylah Williams knocked down a tough stepback jumper while being fouled. Williams missed the FTA, sending both teams into the break with the Tigers trailing 36-32. MTSU out-rebounded LSU in the first 20 minutes, 25-18. LSU was not doing themselves any favors, shooting just 57% from the free-throw line. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders began the second half with scores from Anastasiia Boldyreva and Savannah Wheeler, extending their lead to nine. Reese answered with a fast-break layup, making it 41-34 MTSU. An Angel Reese steal led to a Williams jump shot, trimming the lead to five. LSU’s Johnson got a strip from behind off of MTSU’s Wheeler, leading to a pair of free throws from the Georgia native. Mikaylah Williams sent the PMAC crowd into a raucous after hitting a triple to tie things back up at 41 apiece. Flau’jae split a pair of FTA to put LSU in front 42-41. The Tiger lead did not last long as Middle Tennessee’s Scott got a layup to fall, giving the Blue Raiders a one-point advantage. With 4:21 to go in the third quarter, LSU trailed MTSU 43-42. LSU used strong offensive rebounding at the charity stripe to get the lead back on a wide-open look inside the paint from Aneesah Morrow. After a pair of FTM from Wheeler, LSU’s Williams knocked down a two-point shot. A turnover from the Blue Raiders gave the Tigers all the momentum they needed to make a big wave in the round of 32. Who else would step into the spotlight than Flau’jae Johnson? The guard stepped into a massive three-pointer to put the Tigers up five. With the third quarter winding down, MTSU’s Boldyreva fouled out. She is a critical loss for a gritty Middle Tennessee squad, especially with a quarter of basketball still to play. LSU outscored MTSU by 16 in the third frame, taking a ten-point advantage into the fourth quarter of play. Reese earned another easy layup, using her height to her advantage. A shot clock violation from MTSU paired with free throws from Mikaylah Williams sent the PMAC crowd into the loudest frenzy of the contest. Free throws came about for LSU in bunches throughout the fourth quarter as the Tigers ran out to an insurmountable 20-point lead. The LSU Tigers simply dominated the fourth quarter, or the second half, for that matter. For possibly the final time, Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith checked out of the game in front of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center crowd to a resounding applause. The LSU Tigers move onto the Sweet 16, held in Albany, New York, this year. Geaux Tigers! Don't forget to tune in every Monday night on our YouTube Channel at 7pm for Talking Tigers with Da Boot Sports as we talk LSU Basketball. GEAUX TIGERS!! Coming Soon: Photos Below By: Paige Luper 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) *John 3;16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. A huge Thank You to Cardio Health Solutions owned by Ron Sancho for sponsoring and believing in our publication!
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