The Pete Maravich Assembly Center was as loud as ever for LSU’s 117-44 win over Charleston Southern.
But it was a different type of loud.
Instead of LSU fans filling the seats at 11 a.m. Tuesday morning, it was elementary and middle school children from local Baton Rouge schools. Many schools took a field trip to the PMAC to catch Kim Mulkey’s Tigers in action.
“The appreciation I have for teachers and principals to be here today for the 11 a.m. game, but we’re going to continue to do better,” Mulkey said.
Are they LSU fans? Yes; the screams and cheers in the arena clearly showed that. Just as Mulkey’s squad feeds off a typical LSU crowd, it did just the same on Tuesday.
Feeding off the crowd led to good things for LSU. Mikaylah Williams led the team with 25 points, shooting 10-for-16 from the field and 3-for-6 from three.
Williams had the hot shooting hand in Tuesday’s win, but she also added six rebounds and four assists.
LSU’s front court helped Williams out. Aneesah Morrow recorded another double-double with 21 points and 20 rebounds.
Tuesday marked Morrow’s second double-double in three games, and she shot 7-for-12 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free throw line.
Jersey Wolfenbarger added 10 points and six rebounds. Wolfenbarger, a transfer from Arkansas, continues to become more and more comfortable in LSU’s system.
Wolfenbarger recorded her first double-figure scoring game as an LSU Tiger, surpassing her previous high this season by six points. Her versatility made her stand out coming to LSU, but her growth within the system will allow her versatility to be that much more effective.
“I learn things more and more each day that she can play on the perimeter and play on the perimeter because she can move that good,” Mulkey said.
Kailyn Gilbert, a transfer from Arizona, is also adjusting well to LSU’s system, as she added 14 points, nine rebounds and nine assists for the Tigers. Gilbert’s ability to make an impact in all phases of the game will serve LSU well down the line as well.
“The things that KG can do is not anything we’ve taught. She just has lateral speed and quickness and can push the ball up the floor,” Mulkey said. “As you can see, she can score the ball.”
While Williams, Gilbert and LSU’s post players operated well, Flau’jae Johnson took some time to get in a rhythm against Charleston Southern.
But once she found her groove, she never lost it. In fact, she scored her 1,000th career point in the process.
After just four points in the first half, the junior guard finished with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 7-for-15 from the field.
It worked in LSU’s favor that Johnson found her shot, but it’s encouraging to see that some of the pressure can be taken off Johnson and the team can still run smoothly.
Another encouraging factor for LSU fans when it comes to the Tigers’ guards is the quick and efficient growth of Jada Richard.
Richard, the team’s lone true freshman, made her first start of her collegiate career in place of Shayeann Day-Wilson, who did not appear in the game.
“She got popped in the shoulder yesterday at practice,” Mulkey said. “I think she could’ve played.”
Richard scored 11 points along with six assists, and her 26 minutes of play is incredibly valuable for not only herself, but the team as well.
The Tigers already have considerable depth at the guard position, but solidifying Richard in that mix and making her more and more comfortable at the college level is imperative.
“I think Jada has unbelievable leadership skills,” Mulkey said. “Being a freshman, I see signs of her down the road not being afraid to speak up and lead.”
In the loss for Charleston Southern, Catherine Alben led the Buccaneers with 15 points, shooting 5-for-16 from the field.
LSU moves to 3-0 on the season with the win over Charleston Southern. The Tigers will take the floor next on Friday night, as they host Murray State.
The game will tip-off at 7 p.m. C.T. and will be televised on the SEC Network-plus.
