Usually, the third quarter is where LSU women’s basketball dominates and pulls away. Against Ole Miss, that’s where the Tigers faced their biggest adversity.
LSU led 50-37 at halftime after a dominant offensive performance in the first 20 minutes. The Tigers shot 57% from the field and made 7 of 8 3-pointers, but the rhythm didn’t immediately carry over in the second half.
The third quarter was stagnant, but LSU eventually rallied back for an 84-73 win.
Ole Miss began the third quarter on a 16-2 run, briefly taking the lead. LSU struggled with turnovers and fouls as Ole Miss shot 17 free throws in the quarter, making 13 of them.
Many of the turnovers came from the full court pressure Ole Miss applied in the third quarter, but eventually LSU took advantage of Ole Miss’ aggressiveness.
Once LSU could consistently get out of the backcourt, it took advantage of its numbers in the frontcourt and converted easy layups with players cutting to the basket. When LSU didn’t allow Ole Miss to pressure anymore, the game flipped back in the Tigers’ favor.
LSU found its rhythm on offense again, outscoring Ole Miss 32-20 the rest of the game after the 16-2 run.
Angel Reese and Mikaylah Williams led the way for LSU offensively, with 21 and 20 points respectively. All five LSU starters finished in double figures.
Williams was the standout player in the first half, and continues to be LSU’s most efficient perimeter scorer. She shot 58% from the field and made 4 of 5 3-pointers, including a highlight reel shot in the first half where she sent an Ole Miss player to the ground on a stepback.
Hailey Van Lith also had one of her best scoring games of the season before foul trouble and turnovers limited her in the second half. She finished with 13 points on 5 of 11 shooting, but also picked four fouls and seven turnovers.
LSU’s offensive dominance in the first half was another example of how unstoppable its starting lineup can be at its best. Ole Miss came into the game ranked 12th in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 52.4 points per game.
LSI almost matched that in the first half.
The resilience LSU showed in the second half was encouraging at the beginning of conference play, especially against the biggest road crowd the Tigers had seen all season.
LSU returns home for its next game against Texas A&M on Thursday, but then has two consecutive road games against Alabama and Auburn. The win improves the Tigers to 15-1 on the season and 2-0 in SEC play.
