The LSU Tigers walked away victorious after a dog-fight match against the Charlotte 49ers on Wednesday evening.
From the first tip, this game was not only mentally demanding but also physically demanding for the Tigers, ending in favor of LSU 117-59. It was a physical game, with three technical fouls called on the Tigers.
“With that many technicals, usually I am going to lose it or I am going to sit you,” head coach Kim Mulkey said. “That was too many technicals, but our defense is getting better.”
The starting five on the court are no strangers to the court, but one name in particular stood out, though it wasn’t because she scored the most points. With her second straight double-double, 6-foot-5 forward Kate Koval showed a new level of physicality against the 49ers and ensured every rebound opportunity was taken advantage of.
“Kate doesn’t get too high or too low, she really helps her team, but you can see she didn’t have too many shot attempts, so we challenge her to get to the board and she did,” Mulkey said. “She probably should have had more shot attempts tonight, but I just let us play it out.”
After a successful first half, LSU held the 49ers to just 17 points. The defense was working overtime to avoid the points racking up, but even with the strong effort from the defense holding off points, the 49ers were working just as hard to keep from getting suffocated by a triple-digit score.
The opportunities for Charlotte started to stack up, but every time there was a chance, the shot was just short of hitting inside the net. This was also a common pattern of the 49ers in their field-goal attempts. Most shots from the were just short of the rim and fell right into the hands of the eager LSU defense, ready to bring the ball back down court and stack up some more points.
Contrary to the issues the 49ers were having with making it into the net, LSU didn’t seem to have any struggle, not only making it into the net but seizing rebounds when the first try wasn’t in favor. LSU not only scored points on field-goal attempts but also went 37-46 from the free-throw line.
Another notable performance came from freshman guard Bella Hines, racking up 16 minutes, going 3-for-6 on field-goal attempts and throwing in two assists. She’s been a key demonstration of why this incoming class is nothing to be messed with on the court. Defensively, Hines was versatile and quick when needed to be either right under the basket or blocking a potential shot.
It took until the fourth period for the Tigers to break the 100-point mark, which, unlike in other games, is not usual, showing that Charlotte did not come to play around; the 49ers were here to make a statement in the PMAC.
In the fourth quarter, with seven minutes left after a foul on MiLaysia Fulwiley, the atmosphere in the PMAC was more intense than before, with an already restless crowd.
Fulwiley nabbed the ball, ran it down the court, and with a hail-mary shot, she sank it for three, hitting the final 100-point mark and causing the crowd to become the most deafening all night.
The Tigers fought hard for the victory over Charlotte, continuing their high-scoring efforts and keeping the undefeated streak alive.
LSU women’s basketball returns to the PMAC next Thursday to face Alcorn State.
