A layup by Duke to give the Blue Devils an 11-1 lead early into the game looked to be a hard deficit for the Tigers to come back from in the legendary and hostile environment of Cameron Indoor Stadium.
However, as the camera panned and teams went into a media timeout, LSU women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey looked calm and was even clapping to her team.
That reaction alone told viewers what type of faith she has in her team.
LSU took on Duke in the SEC/ACC challenge on Thursday night, going on the road to face its biggest challenge all season. The Tigers came out on top, winning 93-77 despite a rough start early in the game
It was a slow start for the LSU Tigers, however, the combination of the bench and amplifying the defensive intensity allowed the Tigers to get back in the game.
“First of all, I want to compliment Duke, that’s as good as I have seen them play all year,” Mulkey said. “They jumped on us like white on rice, and yet I was very proud of my team because you can’t get all of those points back quickly. Just stay the course, keep grinding, keep getting better, keep defending, so compliment to Duke.”
It was the first true test for LSU, as the Tigers have been able to take care of every opponent up to this point handily. This time, they faced adversity.
MiLaysia Fulwiley got the party started, scoring 14 points and being the catalyst of the first-half surge. Kate Koval and Grace Knox also combined for 16 points and rejuvenated a lifeless team in the first few minutes.
The trio combined for 41 points, and were the only ones to score off the bench.
“This team really does have a lot of depth,” Mulkey said. “I think I played everybody except two players, and I could’ve put them in, but I didn’t. We’re going to get better. Eight new players, freshmen out there, so we play with a lot of flair. We play with a lot of excitement, that’s the LSU brand.”
Amiya Joyner also played a significant role in the Tigers’ success on Thursday, having two consistent halves and finishing the game with 14 points, five rebounds and shooting 7-for-9 from the field (77%).
Eleven of the 19 turnovers for Duke came in the first half, and with doing so, the Tigers were able to gain some momentum and led by eight at the half.
Turnovers also plagued LSU in the first half with 12, but in the second half, it was a cleaner game as the Tigers only committed six turnovers.
Regardless of Duke’s record, this team was still built on a championship pedigree, earning praise early in the season. It wasn’t going to be easy for the Tigers as the Blue Devils made multiple pushes that didn’t allow LSU to breathe.
However, late in the game, the Tigers started to pull away, and that was because their playmakers stepped up.
When the game’s tight, you need your best players to heat up, and that was the case for Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams.
Williams only scored two points in the first half, but kicked things into gear in the second half, scoring 12 points.
Johnson continues to show why she’s one of the best players in the country. She led the way for LSU, scoring 18 points while shooting 7-for-11 from the field (63.3%) and 3-for-4 (75%) from three.
Her energy permeated throughout the game with big buckets, talking to the opposing coach and getting Mulkey fired up as well. She scored 11 points in the fourth quarter and took the reins as the veteran of this team.
Six Tigers finished in double-digit scoring, showing how dangerous this team can be with the depth and their scoring ability.
“We don’t have that one superstar that we feed every time down the floor,” Mulkey said. “We’re not afraid to share the ball and run quick hitters for different players.”
Among the 93 points LSU scored, it was done efficiently, as it has been up to this point. The Tigers lead the nation in field goal percentage at 55.6%, and it was on display against the Blue Devils.
LSU attacked the inside, scoring 52 points in the paint, getting high percentage shots and shooting 59.7% from the field.
The Tigers will go back to the boot on Sunday, where they’ll go on the road to take on the New Orleans Privateers.
