From the names on paper, maybe LSU wins the game. But on Monday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Colorado was the better team.
The Buffaloes came away with a 92-78 win over the defending national champions.
Colorado was the more experienced team, and it showed. The Buffaloes looked like a team that had played with each other before. For LSU, there were growing pains, and with a team full of new faces learning to play with each other, that’s expected.
“I was disappointed and surprised in some players that I thought would be a little tougher and play with some fight,” Kim Mulkey said. “I thought Colorado did exactly what I thought they’d do. I thought they shot the ball well from three. They were poised. They were polished.”
If there’s one good takeaway for LSU Monday night, it’s Mikaylah Williams. Williams showed out as a true freshman, proving her case even more that she’ll be a valuable piece to the team early on.
“I didn’t want to go down without a fight,” Williams said. “I think we just need to play together. We have a lot of work to do.”
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In many cases, she looked the most comfortable on the floor out of anyone on the team. She led the team with 17 points along with four rebounds.
Angel Reese was also a force for LSU, recording her first double-double of the season. But the Buffaloes controlled her in the second half after she finished with 10 first-half points. She finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds in the game.
Colorado also contained Hailey Van Lith in the second half, who finished 14 points, including two three-pointers, along with seven assists. Eight of her 14 points, including both three-pointers, came in the first half. Sa’Myah Smith came off the bench and scored 16 points along with five rebounds.
The Tigers were outshined by Colorado in almost all aspects of the game. Once the Buffaloes caught fire by tying the game at 24 in the second quarter, they never let go of it.
“They [Colorado] were very good at helping each other,” Mulkey said. “We’re terrible at it right now.”
Jaylyn Sherrod led the Buffaloes past LSU in the first half, as she went into halftime with 12 points. She finished the game with 19 points and eight rebounds. But when LSU controlled Sherrod in the second half, holding her to seven second-half points, Frida Formann took over.
Formann was almost automatic from behind the three-point line. She knocked down seven three-pointers and finished with 27 points along with five rebounds and five assists. The “Princeton offense” Colorado runs benefitted her more than anyone on the Buffaloes’ roster.
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Along with Sherrod and Formann’s stellar guard play, the Buffaloes were a larger force in the paint than LSU as well, led by Aaronette Vonleh. She scored 24 points, shooting 11-of-15 from the field, along six rebounds on the game.
Quay Miller, Colorado’s leading scorer last season, also made a timely impact with eight points and four rebounds. Sara-Rose Smith, a transfer from Missouri, and Tameiya Sadler each added five points.
For Colorado, its familiarity could lead to year it makes a statement in women’s college basketball.
For LSU, Monday night serves as a wake-up call.
Monday night showed the Tigers there is work to be done. It all starts with chemistry, and being more comfortable playing with each other. Colorado functioned as a unit, and while LSU showed glimpses of that, they never were able to put anything long-term together.
“I can’t just flip a switch and have us all on the same page,” Mulkey said. “But it will happen for us, I just don’t know when.”
LSU will have time to identify itself as a team and figure out who will play what roles this season. The Tigers won’t play another Power Five team until Nov. 25, when they take on Virginia in the Cayman Islands Classic.
The Tigers will be back in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for their home opener on Thursday against Queens University of Charlotte. That matchup will tip-off at 7 p.m.
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