If there is a will, there is a way.
That was the case for LSU women’s basketball. The Tigers battled back in the second half to secure an 83-56 win over Middle Tennessee in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament.
Middle Tennessee State tested the Tigers in the second quarter, as the Blue Raiders went into halftime with a 36-32 lead. A 21-point second quarter from the Blue Raiders shifted the intensity in their direction.
But the Tigers did enough during the first half to get the Blue Raiders into foul trouble, and carried that into the second half. It all started with the Tigers’ defense.
“That was our advantage, knowing that they were in foul trouble going into the second half,” Reese said.
With Middle Tennessee having to make adjustments due to its foul trouble, LSU rediscovered its rhythm in the third quarter. After regaining the lead with separation toward the end of the third quarter, the Tigers found themselves in the driver’s seat once again.
Flau’jae Johnson led the Tigers with 21 points, shooting 6-for-10 from the field and 1-for-2 from three. She added four rebounds and two assists.
Mikaylah Williams was a threat on the perimeter, finishing with 16 points, shooting 6-for-11 from the field and 2-for-5 from three. She added six rebounds, too.
But along with the scoring efforts of Johnson and Williams, the defensive efforts in the paint from Aneesah Morrow and Angel Reese were imperative for LSU.
With under a minute left in the third quarter, Middle Tennessee’s 6-foot-6-inch center, Anastasiia Boldyreva, fouled out of the game, eliminating the Blue Raiders’ primary source of paint production. Boldyreva finished the game with nine points and two rebounds.
Reese finished with a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds. She shot 6-for-17 from the field. Morrow was right behind with a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 6-for-14 from the field and 1-for-3 from three.
The Blue Raiders worked to slow the game down in the second quarter, but LSU threw Middle Tennessee off-balance once the Blue Raiders had to be even more careful.
When LSU couldn’t score, it worked to lessen Middle Tennessee long-term.
“That was something we talked about in film,” Morrow said. “They don’t really have a bench, and we knew we had to get the starters in foul trouble.”
All of Middle Tennessee’s starters finished the game with more than three fouls. Ta’Mia Scott fouled out of the game mid-way through the fourth quarter for Middle Tennessee. She finished with 15 points and five rebounds, and shot 3-for-7 from three.
In addition, Blue Raiders’ 6-foot-5-inch center, Iullia Grabovskaia, played with four fouls, making her play more careful in the paint.
This was essential for LSU being that Middle Tennessee runs a six or seven-player rotation. Once their options were depleted, the Blue Raiders had to improvise to the point where they didn’t have the options to keep up with LSU’s pace.
Savannah Wheeler led Middle Tennessee with 21 points and seven rebounds. She shot 8-for-24 from the field, and 4-for-4 at the free throw line. Her seven turnovers also allowed LSU to play at the fast pace it wanted.
Wheeler finished the game with three fouls, and starting guard Jalynn Gregory finished with four. She scored six points, shooting 2-for-10 from three.
In the Sweet 16 and potentially beyond, the Tigers may not be able to play at the fast pace it desires. But Sunday afternoon showed that LSU is capable of beating a team with its defense.
“Doing whatever it takes to win,” Reese said. “I think we did a good job playing team basketball and team defense.”
Along with its solid defense, LSU kept its turnovers to a minimum, as it ended with just seven as a team. Against Rice, the Tigers allowed 24 turnovers.
LSU will now advance onto the Sweet 16 at the MVP Arena in Albany, New York, and will play the winner of No. 2 seed UCLA and No. 7 Creighton. The Bruins and the Blue Jays tip-off on Monday at 7:30 p.m. C.T. on ESPN2.
LSU will tip-off in the Sweet 16 on March 30 at a time to be determined.
“It’s a blessing to win every game at this point, it’s a blessing to get to play,” Van Lith said. “Just with the environment of women’s college basketball right now, it’s something you want to be a part of. We can’t wait to go to Albany.”
