After a start to the season that featured an early loss, drama, injuries and an eventual return to its expected dominance, SEC play was a long time coming for LSU women’s basketball.
It was a chance to officially turn the corner after a long 14 games, and the Tigers turned that corner emphatically Thursday night with a 92-72 win over Missouri.
“We kind of felt like this was our time,” LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson said after the game. “Everybody always says ‘cupcake schedule.’ When we play somebody we really have to put on the floor to show who we want to be.”
LSU made its statement in the third quarter, outscoring Missouri 32-17. The surge was mostly fueled by LSU’s offensive efficiency, shooting 60% from the field and scoring 11 points off turnovers.
The keys to the early second-half success were defense and communication, according to Johnson and Aneesah Morrow. That allowed LSU to force five turnovers and hold Missouri to 2-of-7 shooting from 3-point range in the quarter.
It wasn’t the wire-to-wire domination the team is capable of, but it’s an important opening result to begin conference play, especially leading into a road test against Ole Miss.
LSU had to overcome sloppy play early in the game on both ends of the court. Missouri’s biggest offensive strength was its 3-point shooting and it took advantage of defensive mistakes from LSU early.
Missouri made its first three 3-pointers of the game, two of which were wide open. Missouri shot just 2-of-13 from 3-point range the rest of the first half, but scored seven points off seven LSU turnovers.
Missouri’s spacing gave LSU problems at time, similar to how Colorado beat LSU early in the season.
“I was looking at and I was like, this could be kind of like Colorado without like that post play that Colorado had,” Johnson said. “We really learned from that game.”
LSU briefly trailed in the second quarter, but closed the first half on an 8-0 run and never gave up the lead again after that.
Despite only making three 3-pointers, LSU found its rhythm capitalizing off Missouri turnovers. LSU scored 29 points off 18 Missouri turnovers in the game and scored 52 points in the paint.
Morrow led all scorers with 25 points. Johnson, Angel Reese and Mikaylah Williams also finished in double figures for LSU, as its versatile offensive attack caused problems again.
Johnson had a season-high 24 points and was one LSU’s most important players on defense with five rebounds, three steals and an impressive chasedown block.
“She’s trying to be that all around player. She’s trying to get you rebounds. She’s trying to guard the best player on the perimeter for us,” head coach Kim Mulkey said of Johnson.
LSU finished the game with a 44-31 rebounding edge, led by Reese with 12. She tallied her seventh double-double of the season, following up a 20-rebound performance against Jacksonville.
Ball movement was another key for LSU, finishing the game with 20 assists. Though there were turnovers early, the ball movement helped break Missouri’s zone defense that tried to prevent LSU from attacking the basket.
The next test will be even tougher than the first: A road game against 11-3 Ole Miss.
The Rebels are coming off a 10-point win against Alabama to begin SEC play and have won five games in a row.
It will also be LSU’s first true road game against a high-major conference team of the season. LSU passed its first test of conference play, but with the SEC slate ahead, there are no easy games left on the schedule.
The good news?
The drama and inconsistency looks to be well behind LSU and Thursday night was further proof that this team’s talent is undeniable.
“The good thing about tonight is you got to see the majority of the players that are gonna get most of the minutes,” Mulkey said. “The more they can play together in practice and in a game, the better we will get.”
