SPOKANE, Wash. — When LSU’s back was against the wall, it looked to Mikaylah Williams.
NC State took advantage of LSU’s mistakes, and inconsistency from the Tigers’ guards. But with 10 fourth quarter points from Mikaylah Williams, and Aneesah Morrow and Sa’Myah Smith each with double-doubles, the Tigers squeaked out an 80-73 win over NC State.
“Proud of the team, so proud of everybody,” Smith said. “We did our job.”
LSU will now advance to the Elite Eight for a rematch from last March against No. 1 UCLA.
Williams struggled for much of the game to find her shot from deep, and often forced shots instead of making an extra pass. But Kim Mulkey’s plan did not change when it came to who she wanted controlling the offense in the final minutes of the game.
She gave LSU a 74-73 lead with just over a minute to play. She finished with 19 points on 8-of-20 shooting along with eight rebounds and six assists.
“I just wanted to win,” Williams said. “Just knowing that we needed a bucket to be ahead, and then my teammates trusted me with the ball to get that bucket, so just playing my part to get the win.”
Morrow finished with 30 points and 19 rebounds, marking her 30th double-double of the season, and Smith scored another 21 points and 11 rebounds. The two combined for 51 of LSU’s 80 points, and 30 of LSU’s 52 rebounds.
“It’s hard to double team,” Morrow said. “It’s hard to be able to switch our screens… because Mikaylah [Williams] and Flau’jae [Johnson] throw great passes.”
The Tigers attacked the paint right from the start, as Morrow and Smith combined for 17 of LSU’s 23 points, and nine of LSU’s 16 rebounds that quarter.
In the second quarter, NC State caught on, and the Wolfpack held the two to just six of LSU’s 13 points and four of LSU’s 10 rebounds.
The Wolfpack made its way back after being down eight points in the first quarter, and it did so by putting an emphasis on controlling the paint. It changed its defensive setup and began to play tighter to the basket. NC State grabbed 13 rebounds compared to LSU’s 10 in the second quarter.
On the offensive end, Zamareya Jones was NC State’s spark plug. She knocked down three 3-pointers in the second quarter, and drove to the basket for a layup to give NC State its first lead. Jones finished with 13 points, shooting 4-of-9 from the field and 3-of-5 from three.
Morrow, however, came out of halftime with a new energy with 11 points and five rebounds in the third quarter, and allowed LSU to regain control of the game. Smith was right there with her with another five points and three rebounds in the third quarter.
“NC State’s a good team, they got better since we last played them, but so did we,” Smith said.
NC State went back to what allowed it to make up ground in the second quarter, this time in the most important minutes. Aneesah Morrow and Sa’Myah Smith were contained once again.
Outside of LSU’s paint attack, scoring was inconsistent, and often forced. When Morrow and Smith were contained, LSU’s guards did not have much of an answer.
“I was missing shots, but something I’ve improved on since last year was not dwelling on those shots,” Williams said. “Facilitating, rebounding, passing the ball to Sa’Myah so she can make the shots that she’s making…just doing my part because then when eventually my shot falls, then we’re rolling.”
Flau’jae Johnson struggled to find her shot. She finished the game with just three points, shooting 1-of-8 from the field. She grabbed five rebounds and totaled four assists.
When LSU’s guards struggled, NC State’s guards continued to provide the scoring that gave the Wolfpack the boost it needed to accompany its defensive efforts.
Along with Jones, Zoe Brooks led NC State with 21 points, shooting 9-of-21 from the field. Aziaha James added another 12 points, shooting 5-of-6 from the foul line.
When it came to overall consistency, LSU did not have it. But that didn’t change how it responded in the final minutes, when its season was at stake.
In the NCAA Tournament, consistency may not matter. As long as there’s another day to play basketball, that’s all that a team needs.
LSU’s response in the final minutes is all that showed when the clock hit zero, and it’ll look to clean up its mistakes in the Elite Eight.
“We’re going to take this win, enjoy it for a little bit, and then get ready for the next game,” Smith said.
