Last time Kim Mulkey and her Tigers faced off with Tennessee, it ended with a two-point loss in the Sotheastern Conference Tournament.
This time around, however, LSU went to Knoxville and came away with a 75-60 win.
The Tigers were forced to adapt. Tennessee’s keys to victory were to limit LSU in the paint and keep the Tigers to a minimum at the foul line. In the first half, the Volunteers were successful in doing that.
With Tennessee coming within striking distance on several occasions in the second half, LSU was forced to extend its lead in small pieces to stay ahead and win the game.
LSU finished shooting 29-for-88 (33%) as a team, and 6-for-15 (40%) from three.
Hailey Van Lith kept LSU in front in the second half
Van Lith finished with a team-high 26 points, the most points she has scored since transferring to LSU.
The transfer guard from Louisville, Kentucky shot 9-for-18 from the field and 4-for-5 from three along with seven rebounds and three assists.
But Van Lith’s scoring production was most needed in the second half as Tennessee started to gain momentum. She scored 16 of her 26 points in the second half and scored two for her four 3-pointers in the second half.
“Hailey has taken a lot of criticism, and it needs to stop. She’s learning a new position,” Mulkey said. “She made big shots when we needed them.”
Van Lith seemed to have perfect balance of playing the point, which is an adjustment from where she’s used to playing at Louisville, and also playing her game. While Van Lith was able to distribute the ball, she also took responsibility in providing scoring efficiency when the team needed it.
LSU’s fourth quarter surge
Van Lith helped LSU develop a surge of its own after being outscored in the third quarter. The Tigers outscored Tennessee 27-15 in the fourth quarter, shot 45.5% from the field and 50% from three.
Mikaylah Williams had a helping hand in the fourth quarter as well. She finished the game with 15 points, five rebounds and five assists, shooting 7-for-18 from the field and 1-for-5 from three. Six of her 15 points came in the fourth quarter.
Flau’jae Johnson was blank from behind the 3-point line, but regardless, she had an impact with nine points, seven rebounds and three assists. Five of her nine points came in the fourth quarter.
Angel Reese was contained until she wasn’t
Tennessee’s priority was to contain Angel Reese both all-around in the paint and at the foul line. In the first half, the Volunteers accomplished that.
But Reese found a window in the second half and took advantage.
She finished the game with a double-double in 11 points and 16 rebounds, shooting 4-for-19 from the field and 3-for-6 from the foul line. Of her 11 points, eight of them came in the second half.
It took until just over seven minutes remaining in the second quarter for Reese to get on the board, a jumper that came from just outside the key. Reese first appeared at the foul line with just under two minutes in the second quarter, where she made one of two free throws.
Much of this is accredited to Tennessee center, Tamari Key, and her defensive efforts in the paint. Key finished with 10 points and five rebounds.
“Tamari Key is pretty tall. We knew she would be guarding Angel,” Mulkey said. “Her size altered shots.”
While Tennessee contained Reese’s scoring, her rebounding presence always remained forceful. Reese grabbed 16 of LSU’s 57 rebounds as a team.
Aneesah Morrow stepped up as much as possible given Tennessee’s efforts to control LSU’s scoring in the paint. She finished with eight points and 13 rebounds.
Tennessee’s big third quarter
The Volunteers’ scoring came alive in the third quarter, as they cut LSU’s lead to as low as two points in the third quarter. Tennessee outscored the Tigers 19-10 in the third quarter, where LSU shot 4-for-18 as a team.
“In the third, we lost our composure a bit,” Mulkey said. “But Tennessee made us lose our composure. When you’re down, you play a little harder.”
However, Tennessee finished the game shooting 31% from the field, and just 16% from three. Of the team’s 18 attempted 3-pointers, they made three.
In addition to its lack of 3-point makes, Tennessee also had 10 turnovers compared to LSU’s seven. LSU outscored Tennessee 21-8 in fastbreak points, and 12-3 in points off of turnovers.
Obstacles like these stood in the Volunteer’s way to support its third quarter surge.
Rickea Jackson, who’s projected to be a top pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft, finished with a team-high 16 points and nine rebounds. Of her 16 points, six came in the third quarter.
Tess Darby scored nine points, shooting 3-for-6 from the field and 2-for-5 from three.
Jasmine Powell added eight points along with six rebounds and seven assists, and Sara Puckett added seven points and eight rebounds.
Who’s next?
The Tigers will stay on the road and travel to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs on Thursday.
The game will tip-off at 8 p.m. C.T. from Stegman Coliseum, and will be televised live on ESPN2.
