LSU women’s basketball’s path to the SEC Championship game continues as the Tigers advance to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament after defeating Auburn 78-48.
In the regular season, LSU and Auburn had clashed twice in the regular season, ending both games with a margin of only five points. This game was a different story, however, as LSU dominated right out of the gate.
The biggest takeaway from this game was LSU’s defense. It played a massive role early in the game as it forced seven turnovers and held Auburn to 1-for-17 shooting in the first quarter. LSU’s game plan was to slack off offensively and force Auburn to take shots.
Auburn didn’t make its first goal until the two-minute mark in the first quarter. Auburn’s guard, Honesty Scott-Grayson, was averaging 24.5 points in her two games against LSU in the regular season but was held in check as she only finished with four points while shooting 33% from the field.
She gave LSU a lot of trouble in the past, and LSU made it its goal to not get beat by her again.
The Tigers’ defense led to them starting the game off on a 21-0 run in the first quarter.
Flau’jae Johnson was the catalyst of that big run as she established herself by scoring 17 points in the first half. Johnson finished the game with 25 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
This was an all-around effort, though. All five starters finished the game in double digits. Reese once again tallied up a double-double, finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
In the second half, LSU didn’t look back. It continued to play hard on defense and forced Auburn to make shots from the outside. The Tigers were active in the passing lanes and forced multiple turnovers. Auburn ended the game with 19 turnovers and LSU racked up 11 steals and six blocks.
As for the offensive side of the ball, LSU continued to dominate and make its presence known in the paint. It took great shots and didn’t force anything, and as a result, the Tigers finished the game shooting 46% from the field.
LSU will advance to the semifinals and will take on the winner of Ole Miss and Florida on Saturday at 6 p.m. C.T.
