The game wasn’t pretty, but for LSU, the result was.
Sunday night, LSU took down the No. 9 Miami Hurricanes by a score of 54-42 in the Elite Eight and will advance to the Final Four. This is the program’s first trip to the Final Four since 2008.
Before returning to Greenville, South Carolina, the last time LSU had played in Bon Secours Wellness Arena was when it lost in a heartbreaker against Tennessee in the SEC Tournament. This time around, the Tigers leave Greenville as the Greenville Region 2 champions, punching their ticket to the Final Four.
LSU will play on Friday in Dallas, Texas, for the right to advance to the National Championship. It will face the winner of No. 1 seeded Virginia Tech and No. 3 seeded Ohio State; that matchup will tip off on Monday at 8 p.m. The Tigers will take the floor in Dallas at either 6 or 8 p.m.
The Tigers and the Hurricanes had two things in common in the Elite Eight matchup: great defenses and slow offenses. Both teams struggled to put the ball in the basket; the first quarter ended with LSU in the lead with a score of only 10-8. But LSU’s defense came up big rebounding and was able to translate that into points at the times most needed.
“I just think we needed to relax and calm down and let the game come to us,” Alexis Morris said. “We didn’t shoot the ball well; we didn’t shoot the ball well the past two games. But the only thing we can control is our defense.”
The two players that have led the Tigers all season long shined in the time most fitting. Morris used her experience on the biggest of stages Sunday night, finishing with 21 points, two rebounds, two assists and four steals.
“You look at someone who has had that much experience in college, and you tell them ‘This is where point guards have to lead and control the flow of the game,’” Kim Mulkey said.
Angel Reese finished with her 32nd double-double of the season, breaking the SEC single-season record. She scored 13 points along with 18 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks.
“She’s strong,” Mulkey said. “She’s a strong kid. She doesn’t jump half the time. If she ever just jumps, I think she could do even more.”
LaDazhia Williams cooled down after her 24-point performance in the Sweet 16 against Utah, only scoring four Sunday night. Sa’Myah Smith added some valuable minutes off the bench instead, scoring six points and five rebounds.
For Miami, Jasmyne Roberts was the answer when it came to its offense. She led the Hurricanes with 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Destiny Harden was also effective in rebounding, finishing with seven rebounds.
“It hurts because we competed, we gave it our all,” Harden said. “We took the program somewhere it’s never been, but I think I’m just going to go back in the past and remember this forever. So right now, it stings, but I’m glad to say that we were one of the first teams to make history for Miami.”
To say that making it to the Final Four means a lot to this year’s LSU team is an understatement. When looking at what the team accomplished, it makes them reflect on the season they’ve had.
To Mulkey, accomplishing this type of feat in her second year in the program was something she didn’t expect. Throughout the year, Mulkey would say that “they haven’t done anything yet, we’ve only won basketball games,” and that “they haven’t arrived yet.” But one thing is for sure with Mulkey, she will enjoy this Final Four.
“I just wanted to come back to the state of Louisiana and come home,” Mulkey said. “What really makes me smile is not cutting that net down, but looking around at all those LSU people, that team I get to coach…that’s what it means to me.”
Just as it means so much to Mulkey to have another Final Four appearance, this time in her home state, she reflected on what it means for the school.
On top of that, few expected this success to occur in just year two under Mulkey.
“We don’t have to win a championship for them to see how much they love us,” Mulkey said. “I think they’re going, ‘what are we doing, in year two, are you kidding me?”
But the one person that this run may mean a little more to is Alexis Morris. She hoped since the beginning of the postseason that she’d get to end her LSU career in her home state of Texas. Her wish was granted, and despite how the Final Four turns out for LSU, Morris will be able to wear the purple and gold one last time in her home state.
“I’m ending my career where I wanted it to be,” Morris said. “So hopefully we could cut some nets in Dallas.”
