While it didn’t come as easy and wasn’t as pretty as past wins this season, LSU still came away with another win Tuesday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The Tigers defeated Southeastern Louisiana 63-55 in their first game at home since the team’s trip to the Bahamas for the Goombay Splash. With this win, LSU moves to 8-0 on the season.
Southeastern led the entire first quarter and led by as much as eight points only about three minutes into the game.
But it only took the change of quarters for LSU to get situated in the game. The Tigers tied the game at 18 with a three-pointer by Jasmine Carson and took the lead with a jumper from Alexis Morris. Once they captured the lead, they didn’t give it up.
But Southeastern continued to challenge the Tigers throughout the entirety of the game, and never let LSU get too comfortable. When the Tigers has a 21 point lead, Southeastern continued to chip away to close the gap to just four points. Despite the loss, they held LSU to their lowest points scored all season.
“I felt we were really comfortable, we’re 7-0, but we haven’t played that many great teams,” Angel Reese said. “I think we were comfortable and tonight humbled us.”
Alexius Horne led Southeastern Louisiana, reaching double figures before the end of the first quarter. She finished with 28 points in the loss, shooting 11-for-23 from the field, and five-for-seven from the foul line.
“I knew Southeastern would come in here and play like that,” Coach Kim Mulkey said. “I knew those players it meant something to them to play LSU, I grew up in this state, but I only have two in that locker room that understand that.”
Angel Reese recorded her eighth double-double performance in a row. Regardless of being heavily defended all night, she led the team with 25 points and 11 rebounds on the night.
“I think it’s [tough defending] something that I needed,” Reese said. “I get double-teamed in practice, so I know I need to kick it out to my shooters, and they knock shots down when I kick it to them, but it was a learning process for us and my teammates.”
Jasmine Carson found her rhythm from the three-point line once again and also finished with a double-double. The graduate transfer from West Virginia University made four three-pointers, finishing the game with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Alexis Morris scored seven points, and Sa’Myah Smith added four points with 11 rebounds, two assists and five blocks. Kateri Poole also added five points with two rebounds and three assists.
The Tigers will have their first true away game, as they will travel to New Orleans to take on Tulane on Sunday, Dec. 4 at 4 p.m. C.T. at the Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse.
“‘What did I learn’? When we went up 21, how did we lose that lead? And that’s why I’ll get in the film room with them and we’ll go over things defensively,” Mulkey said.
