LSU needed someone to step up.
The Tigers came into Thursday night’s game coming off a heartbreaking loss to Texas on Sunday, but adversity continued to come their way.
Aneesah Morrow was sidelined due to a foot injury, missing the first game of her career. But Jersey Wolfenbarger and Sa’Myah Smith picked up the slack, leading LSU to a 79-63 win over Georgia.
“I think we knew that tonight had to be a response game, and we had to turn around our momentum after that loss,” Wolfenbarger said.
Morrow suffered a minor foot injury against Texas on Sunday. Her left foot was stepped on, and she was in and out for the remainder of that game. Her absence on Thursday night was strictly precautionary.
“[She] has no structural damage, no ligaments, no broken bones,” Mulkey said. “She got stepped on in the Texas game… it’s just sore.”
Morrow’s inability to play meant there were points to be made up for and rebounds. Luckily for LSU, Wolfenbarger came through and played arguably her best game as a Tiger, and Smith played perhaps her best game since November 25 against Washington.
The transfer from Arkansas finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. She took advantage of the foul line, making eight of her 12 foul shots and four of her five shots from the field.
Smith finished with her own double-double, adding 12 rebounds and 11 points for the Tigers.
“[She’s] playing a bit more physical,” Mulkey said. “She grew up in that Texas game. I was really proud of her. And I thought she did some good stuff tonight.”
Thursday night’s victory was a challenge that LSU passed, a test on handling an asset as valuable as Morrow not being on the floor.
Wolfenbarger embraced the role of a true post-player, arguably more than she had all season. She played with an aggressiveness that the Tigers haven’t seen from her on the defensive side of the ball; seven of her 12 rebounds were on defense.
“I’ve learned a lot from this program since being here,” Wolfenbarger said. “They’ve kind of elevated my game in different ways.”
Wolfenbarger and Smith’s control in the paint translated to points on the offensive end.
Flau’jae Johnson scored a team-leading 21 points, shooting 8-of-20 (40%) from the field and 3-of-9 (33.3%) behind the arc. Kailyn Gilbert added another 15 points, shooting 50% from the field.
Mikaylah Williams took a backseat Thursday night with a quiet 12 points on 6-of-16 (37.5%) shooting from the field and was held blank from three.
Morrow’s absence, however, wasn’t entirely made up for. Georgia had some success in attacking the frontcourt and driving to the basket.
Mia Woolfolk took advantage, scoring 12 points and shooting 6-of-12 (50%) from the field with six rebounds. But Trinity Turner was dominant for the Bulldogs with 28 points, shooting 12-of-26 from the field and 3-of-9 from three.
In addition, Georgia was just as efficient in scoring, shooting 42.4% from the field compared to LSU’s 42%. However, the Tigers eliminated the Bulldogs’ perimeter game. They held Georgia to just 18.8% from three.
Thursday’s win was not only a challenge for how LSU would respond in Morrow’s absence but also a challenge to operate outside the “Big 3.” While Morrow couldn’t suit up, Williams also had a quieter night.
Did the Tigers lack consistency in scoring and scoring points on the board? It may be missing Morrow’s eight points per game. That isn’t the main takeaway from Thursday night, however.
Instead, Thursday’s matchup was a true test for LSU’s sole players and bench. Smith played the third-most minutes of the season, with 34 minutes played, giving the Tigers control of the paint.
Alongside the post-game making a substantial statement, LSU’s depth continued to play its role.
Last-Tear Poa played another 11 minutes against Georgia after playing 26 minutes on Sunday against Texas. She finished with three points.
While wins are certainly the priority for the Tigers, it’s not entirely about victory and defeat anymore. At this stage, it’s about seeing what they have and what it doesn’t come the postseason.
And the postseason is approaching quickly.
LSU will hit the road to take on No. 14 Kentucky on Sunday at 4 p.m. C.T. from Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky. The matchup will be televised on ESPN.
After that, the Tigers will have just two regular season games before beginning its long-awaited postseason run.
