Reese Scores Career-High In LSU’s 69-60 Win Over Ole Miss

Photo By: LSUsports.net

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.

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