The last time LSU played two away games, they lost. They were able to break their losing streak when they came back to Baton Rouge to face Kentucky, but as the Tigers head back on the road Monday, they will be tested once again at Ole Miss (18-4, 6-3 SEC).
Ole Miss had a two game losing streak before beating Missouri on Thursday, a team LSU narrowly defeated in overtime. The Rebels are a great defensive team, led by senior forward, Shakira Austin.
“I think Ole Miss is as good defensively as anybody in this league,” Coach Mulkey said in her press conference Friday leading up to the Ole Miss game. “They are all active, they are all quick, they have a superstar in Austin, but they play within their abilities.”
Shakira Austin, a 6-foot, 5-inch forward, has been dominant for Ole Miss all season long. She led the team in points and/or rebounds in three out of the Rebels’ last four games. Aside from her average of 14.5 points per game, she averages 8.6 rebounds per game, which is the fourth most in the SEC.
The Tigers are aware that they have a tough match against Ole Miss, but Coach Mulkey sees a lot of similarity between the two teams. “They’re in the same boat we are,” she said Friday. “The only difference is we’re ranked a little bit higher than they are, but their record is similar to ours; they are trying to get to the postseason and win as many in the league as they can.”
Coach Mulkey constantly preaches to her players that this part of the regular season is what matters most. “I want them to be hungry now like we were when we started,” Mulkey said. “Don’t become content, we have not arrived as a program.”
There is a lot for the team to be focused on in front of them, not only with Ole Miss, but with their remaining 7 conference games. But Coach Mulkey also reminds her team what they are capable of if they take care of business to close the regular season, something that has not been done in LSU women’s basketball for a long time. “I would love for us to go to the playoffs,” Mulkey said. “We’d also like to finish in the upper half of the league, right, we’d like to finish ranked in the Top 25, if possible.”
“Let’s be a little bit selfish and greedy,” Mulkey added. “I’d sure like to host a first and second round. Give them things to shoot for that are realistic.”
The way this team has been playing, every goal Mulkey has for the Tigers is realistic. However, the remainder of conference play is the primary goal Mulkey and the Tigers are focused on. In order to achieve all goals beyond the regular season, they have to finish the regular season out strong. That all starts against Ole Miss.
The Tigers will take on Ole Miss on Monday at 6 p.m. C.T. at the Pavilion at Ole Miss. The game will be televised live on the SEC Network. 

Gallery • 2 Photos

Chynna McClinton

LSU women’s basketball graduate student guard Jailin Cherry (1) rides on the back of graduate student center Faustine Aifuwa (24) Thursday, Dec. 02, 2021, after LSU’s 69-60 win against Iowa State in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on North Stadium Drive in Baton Rouge, La.