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.

Da Boot Sports
​2/26/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   BATON ROUGE — In front of an all-time PMAC record crowd of 15,721, No. 5 LSU (27-1, 15-1 SEC) tied its best regular season ever as the Tigers defeated Mississippi State (20-9, 9-7 SEC), 74-59, Sunday afternoon.

“We have just played, in my opinion, the hottest team in the SEC,” Coach Kim Mulkey said of MSU. “Those guys take you off the dribble as good as anybody. They played South Carolina to within eight. They have beaten a lot of teams as of late, they are playing good and will get in the NCAA Tournament”

LSU will play in the SEC Tournament in Greenville, S.C. next Friday at 5 p.m. CT as the No. 2 seed against the winner of No. 10 Auburn and No. 7 Georgia.

Sunday’s crowd broke the previous all-time PMAC record of 15,694 that was set during a men’s basketball game in 1981.

Angel Reese continued to write her name in the record books as she tied LSU legend Sylvia Fowles for most double-doubles in a single season with 27. Reese scored 23 points and hauled in 26 boards. Sunday marked her fifth game this year with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds.

Her 26 rebounds were her second most this year as she set a LSU record with 28 against Texas A&M in January. She is the first player in the SEC during the NCAA era with two games of 26+ rebounds in her career.

LaDazhia Williams dropped 16 and recorded 4 rebounds in the win. Alexis Morris put together another great performance and tied Reese to lead the team with 23 points. 

“I just did things that we worked on in practice,” Williams said. “We really emphasized getting into the post and we knew how they were going to play us. We knew we’d have one-on-one opportunities and I was just able to knock down the shots I worked on in progress.” 

Louisiana native, JerKaila Jordan led the Bulldogs with 16 points and 4 boards. She was followed by the 6-5 center, Jessika Carter who dropped 10 and brought down 6 rebounds. Jordan and Carter were the only Bulldogs to score in double figures.   

The Tigers dominated the offensive glass with 21 offensive rebounds compared to 3 for MSU. That led to LSU outsourcing MSU in second chance points, 24-2. Reese had 10 of LSU’s offensive rebounds.

After dropping the first quarter 15-14, the Tiger fought back to earn a 6-point lead by the half. LSU maintained its lead the entire third quarter keeping the Bulldogs out of reach. The Tigers fed off of the PMAC energy to extend its lead to as much as 15 in the final quarter. 

Reese and Morris led the way through the first five minutes with 4 points a piece in a tied game, 8-8. Carson scored a layup off a Bulldog turnover to take a 10-8 lead at the first media timeout. LSU ended the quarter in a three minute long scoring drought and down by 1. 

Reese finished the opening quarter with 8 points and 6 rebounds as the Tigers were down after the first ten minutes for just the fourth time this season. Reese went 4-4 from the stripe. 

A 7-0 run to start the second gave LSU a six-point lead and forced a MSU timeout with just over eight minutes before the half. The Tigers went on 6-0 shooting 4 for 4 from the field to extend their lead to twelve for the first time. Mississippi State scored six unanswered points to cut the LSU lead to six . The Tigers went into the break with a 36-30 lead. 

Reese (12), Morris (10), and L. Williams (10) all reached double figures in the opening half, Carson scored the only other points (4). Reese’s 12 and 10 first half performance made double-double number 27 for the transfer, the 11th time she’s done it by halftime. 

Both teams shot 48-percent from the field and struggled from deep in the first two quarters. LSU went 0-9 and MSU went 1-5 from behind the arc. The Tigers were out-rebounded and gave up six turnovers. 

LSU built its lead back up to double figures three minutes into the third after going 4-4 from the free throw line. At the media timeout the Tigers had a 49-38 lead over the Bulldogs. The Tiger defense held strong and forced a 2:30 scoring drought as MSU went 0 for 4 in that period. LSU headed into the final quarter with a 54-46 lead. 

​Just over ten seconds into the fourth MSU’s Ramani Parker hit a three to make it a five-point game. LSU went on a 7-2 run to move its lead back to double figures. Morris led the Tigers through the final quarter with 13 points. Morris went 5-6 from the charity stripe to secure the double digit win for LSU.
​ 

Da Boot Sports
​2/24/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   NASHVILLE — Angel Reese and Alexis Morris combined for 44 points as the LSU women’s basketball team (26-1, 14-1 SEC) took down Vanderbilt (12-17, 3-12 SEC) Thursday in Memorial Gymnasium by a score of 82-63 to clinch second place in the SEC. 

Reese, the six-time and reigning SEC Player of the Week, scored 23 points and hauled in 18 rebounds for her 26th double-double of the season. Reese had a double-double by halftime for the tenth time this season. 

Morris had 21 points and led the team with 5 assists. LaDahzia Williams recorded 13 points and 6-8 shooting and had 8 rebounds. Jasmine Carson made three threes in the win. 

Vanderbilt’s Ciaja Harbison led the Commodores with 21 points, 5 three-pointers, and 5 rebounds. The only other Commodore to reach double figures was Jada Brown with ten.

The Tigers were dominant in the paint, outscoring the Commodores, 46-16 on the inside. Freshman forward Sa’Myah Smith played well off the bench for LSU, scoring 8 points to contribute to LSU’s points in the paint.

LSU jumped out to a 17-point lead at the half, but Vanderbilt went on a run early in the third quarter and got back within six before the Tigers extended the lead back out.

“I am pleased in the first half,” Coach Kim Mulkey said. “In the first half we were talking, communicating, helping the helper, help and recover – a lot of great things in the first half. Then you come out in the third quarter and it’s just the opposite.”

The Tigers have one regular season game remaining as they are slated to host Mississippi State on Sunday at 5 p.m. CT on the SEC Network before gearing up for postseason action. With LSU’s win on Thursday and Tennessee’s loss against South Carolina, the Tigers have locked up the No. 2 spot in the conference for the second year in a row. LSU would need to win on Sunday and for South Carolina to fall against Georgia to grab a share of the SEC title.

Two years in a row we’ve finished second in the league behind the National Champion (South Carolina),” Coach Mulkey said. “We need to recognize that. I need to recognize that. Someday our goal is to finish as champions.”

During Thursday’s game, the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee made its final Top-16 seed reveal prior to Selection on March 12. The committee had the Tigers slated as a No. 2 seed once again.

Three pointers from Morris and Poa boosted LSU to an 11-6 lead five minutes into Thursday’s contest. LSU held the five point lead into the first media timeout despite only connecting on 1 of its last 7 shots. Following the break the Tigers went on a 7-0 run and held Vanderbilt scoreless for three minutes. Sacha Washington hit a turnaround jumper in the final seconds to make it a seven point game and end the opening quarter with LSU holding an 18-11 lead.

LSU made three triples and held the Commodores to 1-8 from deep in the first ten minutes of action. 

A minute into the second quarter a three-pointer from Ryanne Allen put Vanderbilt within six. The Tigers responded with a 7-0 run in under a minute to take a 13-point lead over the Commodores. Just before the media timeout Carson hit back to back triples to improve the LSU lead to 17 with 4:38 to play before halftime. The Tigers ended on an 11-4 run to make it 40-23 heading into halftime. 

Reese finished the half with 10 points and 10 boards to secure her 26th double-double of the season. It also marked the 10th time she reached a double-double by halftime this season. 

The Tigers shot 46-percent from the field and 46-percent from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes of play. LSU out rebounded Vanderbilt by ten and scored half of its points from within the paint. 

Carson made her third triple of the night to open the third and give LSU its first 20-point lead of the game. Vanderbilt would not go away so easily as the Commodores went on a 7-0 run in the middle of the quarter to get within 9 of LSU. The Tiger would hit the 50-point mark just before the media timeout as Vandy trailed by 12. Back-to-back threes from the Commodores brought the margin to six with just under four minutes left in the third. The Tigers responded with a 10-0 run to stretch their lead back to double figures and went into the fourth holding a 60-45 lead.

The Tigers were outscored 22-20 in the third quarter and Vanderbilt forced 7 LSU turnovers compared to the Commodores 2, both within the last minute. Morris led the way with 8 points in the third, and Reese followed with 7. The duo scored the team’s last 15 points of the third quarter. 

​LSU carried its momentum into the final quarter as it built upon its lead by opening with an 8-2 run to take a 21-point lead. Vanderbilt made four three-pointers in the fourth but were unable to find a stop to the Tiger’s offensive attack. Morris added another 8 points in the fourth and Reese and Williams each scored six. LSU went 4 of its last 4 from the field and finished with a 19-point victory.
​

Da Boot Sports
2/19/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   GAINESVILLE, Fla.— Jasmine Carson’s career-high 25 points and was backed by Angel Reese’s 25 points and 16 rebounds to lead the No. 5 LSU (25-1, 13-1 SEC) to a 90-79 victory over the Florida Gators (14-12, 3-10 SEC).The Extactech Arena crowd of 3,498 was Florida’s largest home crowd of the season as many LSU fans came out to support the Tigers.

“I thought we controlled the game,” Coach Kim Mulkey said. “I felt very good about what we did the entire game. I think you’re gonna get everybody’s best shot. We’re not a hidden commodity any more. We’re relevant. I’ve got kids all over social media that these young people come on the road to see. I think that’s reflected in their attendance today.”

To get her career-high, Carson nailed seven three-pointers, the most by a LSU player since Pietra Gay also had seven in 1997. Reese notched her 25th double-double through 26 games this season within the first half on Sunday afternoon and she finished with 25 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals. 

LaDazhia Williams recorded her third double-double of the season as she added 15 points and brought down 10 boards. Flau’jae Johnson scored 12, including 10 in the final quarter, and Alexis Morris led the way with 6 assists.

Kirsten Deans led Florida 30 points on 10-20 shooting and 5 three-pointers. Ra Shaya Kyle and Jordyn Merritt were the other Gators in double figures both scoring 12 points. 

Up next the Tigers will stay on the road this week for a Thursday night matchup at Vanderbilt. Tip-Off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.CT and will be streamed live on the SEC Network +.  

Florida jumped out to a 6-point 13-7 lead early on but the Tigers battled back to knot things up at 15 for the first media timeout. Morris and Johnson both picked up two quick fouls in the first, forcing them onto the bench early in the game. Carson and Reese led the way with 8 points a piece in the first quarter. Reese went 4-4 and had five rebounds and Carson hit two from deep to help LSU earn a 27-23 lead after the opening ten minutes. 

​The first quarter included five lead changes and five ties. LSU’s 27 first quarter points were the most in the opening quarter of any game this season inside conference play. 

Last-Tear Poa hit a deep three on the wing to open the second quarter and push the LSU lead to seven. Poa’s three started a 10-0 run that gave the Tigers their largest lead of the night, jumping ahead by 14 without letting Florida score in the first four minutes of the second. Carson hit back to back threes within 32 seconds of each other to total a career high 5 three-pointers within the half. LSU went into the break with a 47-31 lead after holding the Gators to just 8 second quarter points. 

The Tigers were on fire in the first-half, making 56–percent of their shot attempts (67-percent from beyond the arc) to jump out to the 16-point lead. Carson set a career-high before halftime with five made threes as her and Reese combined for 31 first half points. Coming off a 36 point and 20 rebound game Thursday against Texas A&M, Reese kept it rolling and finished the first half with 14 points and 13 rebounds, her ninth first half double-double of the season.

Through the first five minutes of third quarter action Florida held the Tigers scoreless and to cut the lead to 9 after putting together a 9-0 run. A technical foul on Nina Rickards sent Morris to the foul line who went 2-2 to snap the Florida run and give LSU its first points of the quarter. Carson continued her career performance from deep as she hit a three to total 20 points and bring the LSU lead back to double figures. 

The Gators outscored LSU 19-12 in the third and trailed by nine as they headed into the final quarter. The Tigers shot only 26.7-percent in the quarter and were unable to get their desired post touches as the Gators made a dent in the LSU lead.

​Johnson scored 10 in the fourth quarter on 4-4 shooting to reach double figures. Reese scored 11 more and both Williams and Carson had 5 in the final quarter. Florida’s Deans dropped 13 in the fourth but it was not enough to get past the deficit. Florida earned 7 points off of free throws and only had two boards. The Tigers held its lead and finished the night with a 11-point win for LSU’s 25th victory of the season. 

Da Boot Sports
2/17/2023
LSU Sports Communications
​By: LSU Staff


   ​BATON ROUGE —  Angel Reese scored a career-high 36 points and hauled in 20 rebounds to help lead No. 5 LSU (24-1, 12-1) a 69-60 win Thursday night over Ole Miss (20-6, 9-4 SEC) as the Tigers responded with a victory following their first loss of the season Sunday at No. 1 South Carolina. 

It marked Reese’s fourth game with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds this season and it was her first to reach 30 points and 20 rebounds. She accounted for 51-percent of LSU’s offense, dominating the game as she played all 40 minutes.

“I knew coming out tonight that my team needed me and it was just about how I was gonna respond tonight,” Reese said. “I felt like I responded well and did what I could to win.”

Alexis Morris scored 13 and went 7-8 from the charity stripe. Flau’jae Johnson had 8 and picked up 3 big steals. 
Ole Miss’s Angel Baker led her squad with 21 points and 8 rebounds. Madison Scott followed in scoring with 13 points and 4 boards. The Rebels held LSU to its third-lowest scoring total of the season.

LSU recorded 9 steals Thursday night and forced 21 Ole Miss turnovers, committing just 11. Still Ole Miss kept the game close through much of the game, preventing LSU from going on any extended runs. With 18 offensive rebounds, nine by Reese, LSU outscored Ole Miss in second chance points, 22-12.

“I thought we got our hands on a lot of steals just reaching and you created 21 turnovers and I thought that was a big part of the scouting report as well,” Coach Mulkey said. 

Up next LSU will hit the road for its final two road games of the season. On Sunday the Tigers will face the Florida Gators at 1 p.m. CT on the SEC Network and then on Thursday LSU is slated to take on Vanderbilt in a 6:30 p.m.. LSU will host Mississippi State to close out the regular season on February 26.

With three games remaining in the regular season, LSU has clinched a top-four seed in the SEC to secure a first-round bye. Winning out would ensure the Tigers finish No. 2 in the league for the second straight year.

After a Davis three gave Ole Miss a 7-6 lead to start the game, LSU put together an 11-2 run to regain the lead and hold an eight point advantage at the first media timeout. The Rebels cut the deficit to one (17-16) with just under two minutes to play in the opening quarter. The Tigers ended the quarter scoring 5 unanswered and held a 22-16 lead after ten minutes of action. 

Reese ended the quarter with 11 points and 5 boards on 4-5 shooting from the field. 

Reese earned her 15th point of the night as she brought the LSU total to 30 and forced an Ole Miss timeout with 5 minutes remaining before the half. Costly turnovers allowed the Rebels to go on a 6-0 run and cut the lead to 2 to finish the quarter. LSU ended the second on a 5:05 scoring drought after missing its last 5 shots from the field. 

The Tigers went into the break with a 30-28 lead led by Reese who secured her 24th double-double of the season posting 15 points and 10 rebounds in the first half. The 8 second quarter points from LSU was tied for the lowest amount scored in a quarter this season. (Once earlier vs. Texas A&M)

A Davis jumper tied the game at 30 to open the half, but Morris responded just 19 seconds later to regain the lead with a bucket of her own. After being tied at 34, Morris went 2-2 from the free throw line and a possession later Johnson went coast to coast off a steal to give the Tigers a four point lead. Minutes later another Johnson steal led to a Jasmine Carson fast break and made it 8 unanswered points for the Tigers. 

LSU built up a 9-point lead before the fourth and the Tiger defense forced 9 turnovers (4 steals) in the third quarter. 

​Reese scored LSU’s first ten points of the quarter as the Tigers looked to hold onto their lead. Ole Miss kept the margin within double figures for the majority of the fourth, coming as close as five with 1:37 remaining.  The Tigers made their free throws and cruised to their 24th win of the season.

Da Boot Sports
​2/13/2023
By: David Penn


   COLUMBIA, SC - Coach Kim Mulkey said before tip off on Sunday that “No one is on their level” when referring to Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks.

   LSU, now (23-1, 11-1) did little to dispel that notion in the Tigers' first loss of the season, falling to
the defending national champions, 88-64.

   South Carolina (25-0, 12-0) ended two notable streaks for LSU. One, the Tigers' record 23 game
winning streak to begin the season and two, Angel Reese’s streak of 23 consecutive double doubles.

   The game also featured a matchup of Aliyah Boston and Angel Reese, who are both in contention for player of the year honors.
    
   South Carolina raced out to an 18-2 advantage over the Lady Tigers with several LSU players landing in early foul trouble.

   LSU fought back though on the back of Alexis Morris, who consistently beat the South Carolina defense off the dribble and high ball screens, as LSU cut the South Carolina lead to three in the first half.

   But the depth and talent of the Gamecocks allowed them to stretch their first half lead to 10 points before the end of the second period.
    
   At the end of the first half Angel Reese was held to season lows of three points and one rebound.

   Reese scored the first bucket of the contest for LSU but wouldn't score again until sinking a free throw
just before halftime.

   Alexis Morris finished the first half with 15 points, doing all she could to keep the Tigers within
striking distance.
    
   In the second half, the Tigers clawed their way back to cut the South Carolina lead to five points, but that was the closest the Tigers would get as South Carolina pulled away from LSU, eventually building the Gamecocks biggest lead of the game, 24 points, which was also the final difference on the scoreboard.

   Reese would play better on offense scoring 13 points in the second half, but the Gamecocks dominated
the boards, out rebounding LSU 43-25. LSU was led in rebounds by Sa’Myah Smith, who grabbed six boards. Smith also led LSU in assists with two.

   “This is just one game." Kim Mulkey said. "There are goals we have, and we’ve got to take tomorrow off
and get ready for Ole Miss. Be thankful that LSU was on this stage. Who in the world would have thought that we would be on this stage in year two of rebuilding the program?”
    
   LSU will host Ole Miss on Thursday night at the PMAC in the Play4Kay pink out game.

   LSU has four games remaining before the SEC tournament begins, where the Tigers could
earn themselves a rematch with the Gamecocks. Undoubtedly, LSU will relish a chance to play South Carolina again.​

​*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)

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Da Boot Sports
2/5/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- No. 3 LSU (23-0, 11-0 SEC) remained undefeated as it took down Texas A&M (6-15, 1-10 SEC) in a 72-66 win on Sunday afternoon inside Reed Arena. “We played three tough teams in seven days and won all three,” Coach Kim Mulkey said. “I think for the last two weeks that the opponents are really playing extremely hard. They’re playing with a lot of energy and excitement. I asked the team, why do they think that’s taking place and I said, ‘understand what’s taking place here; You are becoming relevant in women’s basketball.’”

Angel Reese put together her third 20 and 20 performance of the season as she tallied 26 and hauled in 22 boards in the win. Reese broke an LSU-record 28 rebounds in her last outing against the Aggies earlier this season.  

Alexis Morris followed with 22 points on 8-11 shooting in her return to Reed Arena. The Texas native played her junior season (2020-21) at Texas A&M before transferring to LSU last season. 

Flau’jae Johnson was the only other Tiger to break the double-digits mark with 11 points and 6 boards. 
Texas A&M’s Sahara Jones led the Aggies with 14 points. Tinyea Hylton followed with 12 of her own. Both starting post players, Jada Malone, and Aaliyah Patty, fouled out to put the Aggies in a difficult situation for the final quarter.

The Tigers have a full week off before they have a matchup next Sunday at No. 1 South Carolina at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN. The Gamecocks, who have a Thursday game at Auburn, remained undefeated with a win at No. 5 UConn earlier on Sunday. LSU and South Carolina are the only two remaining unbeaten teams in the country.

The Tigers opened Sunday’s contest with a 9-0 run as Morris and Reese led the way with 5 and 4, respectively. Morris hit her second three of the afternoon to put LSU up by 11 with three minutes left to go in the opening quarter. The Tiger defense held A&M to a 2:55 scoring drought through the second half of the first. A Morris steal led to a fast-break that was finished on the other end off a second-chance lay up from Reese to make it 18-8 before the start of the second quarter.

Johnson hit a pull up jumper to start the second quarter and she was joined a possession later as Poa hit a catch and shoot three as LSU improved to a 23-8 lead. The Tigers held on to its early lead from the first quarter as A&M had outscored LSU 10-9 halfway through the second. A triple from Hylton put the Aggies within ten for the first time since the first quarter.  Another made jumper from Morris put LSU ahead 29-18 at the media timeout with 3:45 left to play before the break. Reese went 2-2 from the free throw line to secure her 23rd consecutive double-double in as many games this season, before halftime. Reese hit a driving layup to stop a 6-0 Aggie run just before the break.

The Tigers were up 39-26 at halftime and were led by Morris who scored 16 and Reese who dropped 12 points and 13 boards in the opening 20 minutes. After two quarters LSU scored 18 points in the paint and dominated the glass with 23 rebounds, 1o more than Texas A&M. 

The Aggies held LSU scoreless through the opening 2:20 of the third quarter before Johnson went 1-2 from the foul line. Texas A&M made it an 8-point game after going on a 6-0 run following Johnson’s free throw. The Tigers scored 4 unanswered points to make it 44-34 just before the media timeout. After the timeout the Aggies put together another 6-0 run as they shortened the LSU lead to just 4 with less than two minutes to play in the third. A Reese layup put the Tigers ahead by 7 but a technical foul called on her led to 2 made free throws to put the A&M back within five. Morris hit a jumper with 30-seconds to go and pushed her point total to 20 before the final quarter. LSU was outscored 16-10 in the third quarter but a strong first quarter performance gave the Tigers a 49-42 leading heading into the final quarter. 

​Hylton scored the first points of the quarter on a three-pointer following an LSU turnover to put A&M within four points. Reese went 3-4 in two trips to the line to make it 52-45 as LSU looked to regain its comfortable lead. At the halfway point in the fourth an offensive rebound from Reese gave her the third 20 and 20 game of the season. Reese was fouled on the put back and went 2-2 to give LSU a 9-point lead. Texas A&M would not go away as it scored 4 more unanswered to put it back within five, 60-55. Johnson snagged her first steal and hit a pull up jumper on the other end to put her point total into double figures (11). Morris hit a mid range jumper and Williams went 2-2 from the stripe to make it a 6-0 LSU run. The Aggies were then sent to the foul line four times within two minutes. A&M went 7-8 to make it a 4-point game, 66-62. Resse was fouled with 1:22 to play and went 2-2 from the line to improve her total to 24, 12 of 16 from the free throw line. Poa and Reese would combine four 4 more points to hold off a late push from Texas A&M. The Tigers would hold on to their lead and improve to 23-0 after a 72-66 victory. 

Da Boot Sports
2/2/2023
By: Jordan Taylor
​

   BATON ROUGE, LA - The 3rd ranked Lady Tigers improved to 22-0, 10-0 on Thursday Night, beating Georgia 82-77 in overtime thriller.

   LSU gutted out the win in front of their home crowd after what looked like an off night for most.

   The Lady Tigers fed off the energy of the crowd late while their big two got it going when they were
​needed the most.

   Angel Reese​ continues her dominance 22 games into the season, finishing with her 22nd double-double in a row.

   Georgia came ready and shot extremely well from the field, but when Angel Reese got it going late in the 4th quarter and into overtime their was no answer for her presence in the paint. 

   Reese lead the Tigers with 23 points and 14 rebounds. Alexis Morris had a huge second half with 15 points including two big clutch free throws to close out the victory. Sa'Myah Smith came through with 10 much needed  points off the bench.

   In the first quarter we saw a constant rotation in the lineup as Mulkey's frustration started to boil as the turnovers piled up.

   It was a strong quarter for Georgia but LSU would keep things close by finding their way to the line and getting into the bonus late in the period. Georgia still managed a 15-10 lead as we headed to the second period.

   LSU needed some type of spark and that's exactly what Mulkey got when she inserted two of her bench players. Last-Tear Poa and Smith played several minutes, scoring huge baskets, sparking a 9-0 run to start the second quarter.

   As we approached the four minute mark, we were tied up 23-23.

   LSU struggled with Georgia's zone but kept finding their way to the free throw line to keep pace. As we
approached halftime, Alexis Morris found herself scoreless after her huge Monday night performance.

   Georgia held the lead, 30-29 going into halftime. Smith was LSU's leading scorer with 8 points.


   In the third period LSU started to find success in the paint and that's where the Lady Tigers lived for
the majority the rest of the way.

   Morris wouldn't join the scoring until the six minute mark in the third quarter, coming through with some big baskets late in the contest.

   LSU showed their toughness as they faced some adversity in the third period, getting out hustled while shooting poorly.

   Georgia continued to bring the fight, going on a 6-0 run to close out the third with all the momentum, leading 55-50.

   The Bulldogs found themselves building their biggest lead of the night in the final period, holding a 9 point lead, putting LSU in a huge hole.

   But the Lady Tigers didn't blink as they went to work finding Angel in the paint, followed by a huge three pointer by Morris, cutting the lead to four.

   The rest of the way the PMAC crowd of 8,716 came alive, helping to fuel LSU down the stretch.

   Reese and Morris began to take over late, fighting and scratching as they pulled the ballgame even, 66-66 with less that a minute remaining.

   LSU had a huge defensive stop with under ten seconds allowing everyone to breathe. Morris then had an  opportunity to win the game in regulation, but her shot fell short sending the contest into overtime.  

   Both teams entered the overtime period in foul trouble and in the bonus.

   LSU went ahead by three with 3:43 remaining following a Morris steal and score.
   
   But Georgia stormed right back to tie the game at 74-74 after back to back LSU turnovers. 

   The biggest shot of the night came from LSU's senior leader Alexis Morris, delivering when needed the most,  giving LSU a three point lead with 49 seconds remaining.

   It was all guts this night as Flau'jae Johnson and Morris each sank free throws to put the game on ice and close out the 82-77 victory for LSU...

   With the win, the 3rd ranked Lady Tigers now shift their attention to their third game of the week as they will hit the road to take on Texas A&M on Sunday, Feb 5th. 

Photos Below By: Phillip Cancilleri

Da Boot Sports
1/31/2023
By: Terrill J. Weil


   BATON ROUGE, LA - The Lady Tigers improved to 21-0, 9-0 on Monday night, beating Tennessee 76-68 in front of the largest crowd to ever see a women's basketball game in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center/Dale Brown Court. 

   The Volunteers came focused and ready to play, keeping close to the Ben-Gals all game long. 

   “Well first of all, compliment the fans, goodness gracious,” Coach Kim Mulkey said. “I don’t think I saw
an empty seat, now I didn’t look long, but when I walked out, I was like ‘oh these people are standing,’ It was everything that young people need to experience in college. Thank you to all of the people who made that happen. 
   “I thought it was a game that was good for the SEC and women’s basketball. There are a lot of people who still have their question marks about us, and we’re good with that. We had those question marks, we still have them today. That just feeds our hunger. We just played a team that has played every good team out there this year.”

   Alexis Morris lead the Tigers with 31 points while Angel Reese registered her 21st straight double-double scoring 18 and grabbing 17 rebounds. 

   The first quarter had LSU take the early lead, but the Vols battled back to tie the contest at 8-8 at the 5:48 mark.

   Tied at 12-12 with 2:38 left in the period, the Tigers held Tennessee scoreless the rest of the way
while scoring the final three points to lead 15-12.

   Tennessee refused to cave to the home team fighting back to grab a one point lead, 18-17 with 7:06 left in the first half. 

   The Lady Tigers went on to outscore the Vols 17-11 over the final seven minutes of the half, taking a 34-29 lead at the half. 

   Early in the 3rd period LSU slowly began to pull away from Tennessee, going on a 14-3 run as they increased their lead to 48-34 at the 5:45 mark. 

   There was no quit in the Lady Volunteers as they responded by finishing the third quarter going on a 13-2 run to cut LSU's lead to 50-47.

   The Vols continue to give the Lady Tigers all they could handle over the first two minutes of the final period, cutting the lead to one, 53-52. 

   Over the final 7:43 of the contest, LSU took over, finishing their tough opponent off like championship caliber teams do.  First going on a 13-2 run over a four minute span to increase their lead to 66-54 with 3:57 left on the clock. 

   Tennessee trimmed the lead to six with 18 seconds remaining before Alexis Morris would sink LSU's final four points from the charity stripe to seal the 76-68 victory.

   It was an incredible night in the assembly center as the 15,157 fans showed up in force all wearing white for the 'White Out Game'. The PMAC was loud and electric as everyone was treated to an outstanding SEC contest.

   “I’ve never been a part of this type of environment,” Reese said. “When I walked out, I felt like I’m at home. It was like a winter wonderland in there with all the white.”

   With the win, the 3rd ranked Lady Tigers are now 21-0 overall and 9-0 in SEC play.

   Next up LSU will host the Georgia Bulldogs in the PMAC on Thursday Feb. 2 at 7:00pm CST. 

Photos Below by: Michael Bacigalupi

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)

Da Boot Sports
1/24/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Angel Reese went for 14 points and 14 rebounds to record her 20th straight double-double to set the LSU record (breaking Sylvia Fowles’ of 19 straight) as the No. 4 Tigers (20-0, 8-0 SEC) cruised to a 89-51 win over Alabama (15-5, 4-3 SEC) Monday night in Coleman Coliseum. It was LSU’s largest win in Tuscaloosa ever.“When you’re 20-0, you break a record of one of the greatest all-time players ever, not just at LSU, in Sylvia Fowles, but in the country and in the history of women’s basketball, she’s in wonderful company,” Coach Kim Mulkey said of Reese.

Reese’s double-double streak is the second longest in SEC history, trailing only South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston who recorded 27 in a row last season.

The Tigers are just the second LSU team to start 20-0, joining the 2015 LSU Softball team that started 25-0. Coach Mulkey now has at least 20 wins in all 23 years of her head coaching career.

“I thought we moved,” Coach Mulkey said. “I thought we communicated. You had four kids that scored in double figures. You had three kids that rebounded in double figures. We shot the ball really well. Jasmine Carson really, really lit it up from the three and it snowballed from there.” 

LaDazhia Williams also had a double-double, her second in a row, with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Jasmine Carson shot 4-8 from three-point land and led LSU with 20 points. Alexis Morris finished with 17 and had a game-high 7 assists. Flau’jae Johnson had only six points, but she grabbed 10 rebounds. 

Not only did Reese record her 20th straight double-double, but she guarded Alabama’s leading scorer and held Brittany Davis to 9 points. That got the Alabama offense out of sync as the Tigers held the Crimson Tide to its lowest point total of the season (51), its lowest field goal percentage (29.2-percent) and lowest three-point shooting percentage (18.5-percent).

The Tigers will not play again for another week as they are slated to face off against Tennessee next Monday on ESPN2 in the PMAC. LSU is asking fans to white-out the PMAC and is looking for the second sellout of Coach Mulkey’s LSU career.

With LSU making its first four free throws and a lay-in by Williams, the Tigers took a 6-3 lead early in the game. Alabama made it a one-point game, but Carson rattled in her first three of the game to give the Tigers an 11-7 lead at the media timeout. Johnson gave LSU a 17-11 lead after a crossover, pull-up jumper from the top of the key. Alabama’s JeAnna Cunnigham was assessed an intentional foul, sending Last-Tear Poa to the line with 10.5 seconds left in the first, making both and giving possession to the Tigers. Holding Alabama to 25-percent shooting and 11.1-percent from beyond the arc, LSU led after one, 19-11.

To open the second quarter, LSU got two defensive stops and Morris scored five in a row, nailing a three and a layup in transition to give the Tigers a 13-point lead and force an Alabama timeout. Morris found Williams on a pick-and-roll and then Reese converted an and-one as LSU extended its lead to 29-11. Morris gave LSU a 20-point lead as the Tigers continued its run of holding Alabama scoreless in the second quarter. The Crimson Tide scored their first bucket of the quarter at the 5:49 mark. Carson hit her second three at the 4:15 mark to give the Tigers a 36-15 lead and force the Crimson Tide to call another timeout. Carson hit her fourth three of the game as time expired for the half to give LSU a 47-18 lead going into the break.

LSU held Alabama, the best three-point shooting team in the SEC, to 11.8-percent from long range in the opening half. LSU on the other hand went 5-10 from deep in the opening half.

The Tigers picked up in the second half where they left off, extending their lead to 58-27 at the media timeout with athletic plays all over the court. Already with 13 points, Reese grabbed her 10th rebound to notch her 20th straight double-double to set the LSU record with 2:55 left in the third quarter. Poa hit a running layup as time expired in the quarter for LSU to go up, 69-38.

Poa picked up where she left off as she hit another driving layup to score the opening points of the fourth quarter. Alabama went on to score six straight points before the freshman, Sa’Myah Smith, scored her first bucket of the night. At the middle of the quarter LSU started an 11-0 run that lasted over 3:00 minutes. The run included WIlliams tenth rebound, securing a double-double, as well as Morris’ third trey of the game. The Tigers cruised to their 20th win of the season by a 89-51 decision over the Tide.

Da Boot Sports
1/20/2023
By: David Penn


   BATON ROUGE, LA - In No. 3 LSU’s first SEC rematch of the season, the Arkansas Razorbacks played an impeccable second half that erased a 14 point LSU lead and set up a dramatic sequence for the Tigers, now 19-0, 7-0 to preserve perfection with a 79-76 victory.

   Arkansas (17-4, 4-2) would tie the game with 6:45 to play in the fourth period and take their first lead of the game with 6:23 to play.

   Angel Reese was not only leading the Tigers in scoring and rebounds, she was leading with words
and actions, encouraging her teammates down the stretch to make big plays in the waning moments of the game, and her teammates obliged.

   Alexis Morris bolted down court and knifed through the defense to score a layup with 2:09 to play that would give LSU a 75-74 edge after Reese told Morris, “Big players make big plays.” Freshman Flau’Jae Johnson would ice the game with four clutch free throws down the stretch.
    
   LSU led by as many as 14 points in the first half and took an 8 point advantage into halftime. In the second half Arkansas would roar back and test LSU on every possession. LSU bent but never broke. Arkansas chipped away at the LSU lead until finally leading for the first time in the contest just before the midway point of the fourth period.

  The two teams would then trade shots down the stretch until a costly shot clock violation gave possession back to LSU and swung the momentum back into LSU’s favor.
    
   Reese recorded her 19th double double and tied the record for consecutive double doubles, a record held by Tiger legend Sylvia Fowles. Reese poured in 19 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, Reese is averaging 24 points and 15 rebounds a game for LSU, no other SEC player has had one 20 point 15 rebound game.
    
   Johnson finished the game with 19 points and 6 rebounds, but no points were bigger for Johnson than the only four free throws she took. With just seconds left on the clock and LSU clinging to one point leads, she drained all four attempts from the charity stripe.
    
   LaDahzia Williams and Jasmine Carson both scored in double figures for the Tigers with Williams dropping in 11 while grabbing 12 boards and Carson scoring 10 and leading the team in assists with four.
    
   Erynn Barnum led the Razorbacks with 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Samara Spencer
scored 13, Chrissy Carr scored 12, Makayla Daniels and Maryam Dauda each scored 11. The Razorbacks went 10-29 from beyond the arc, while LSU was just 4-10. The loss snaps Arkansas’ four game winning streak.
    
   Next up for LSU will be a road contest in Tuscaloosa on Monday January 23rd vs the Alabama Crimson Tide (15-4, 4-2). The Tide have won their last three games.