The LSU Tigers defeated the San Diego State Aztecs 103-48 in round one of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday evening. With starters Aneesah Morrow and Flau’Jae Johnson returning back to the court, Kim Mulkey and her squad put on a convincing performance.
“I told myself when I came back that I wanna be the energy for the team,” Johnson said. “I feel like when you don’t get a chance to play basketball, it really changes your perspective on coming out and giving everything you got.”
Johnson’s energy was evident on the court, as she got the Tigers going early with a made three-pointer. Shooting 4-7 from the three-point line and racking up a total of 22 points, Johnson made her presence known.
While both Johnson and Morrow had a great first game back, the Tigers’ secondary stepped up in big moments to keep the momentum going. With Aalyah Del Rosario grabbing seven rebounds off the glass and Shayeann Day-Wilson shooting 3-4 from the three-point line, the Purple and Gold gave fans something to look forward to.
“I feel like everybody on the bench contributed,” Johnson said. “I’m really excited for them, they got what it takes.”
Morrow secured her first double-double of this year’s tournament with 12 points and 12 rebounds. She has continued to be a dominant force for the Tigers on the defensive and offensive side of the ball this season, providing much-needed consistency.
“It’s hard to stop like three people that’s really good at what they do, but then people come off the benches another way, it’s like ‘Oh my gosh when does it stop’,” Johnson said of the team’s effort Saturday evening.
The LSU Tigers will look to put together another complete performance against Florida State in round two of the tournament on Monday at 5 p.m. in the PMAC.