The Tigers were back in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Sunday afternoon for the first time in two games, and they were able to secure a 99-68 win over Arkansas.
There was a lot of sharp shooting for LSU on Sunday, especially from Mikaylah Williams, who hadn’t made a 3-point shot in the last two games.
Williams hadn’t made a 3-point shot in more than a week until this game; She shot 0-for-2 against Alabama on Thursday, and 0-for-1 in the loss to Auburn last Sunday.
Sunday’s matchup against Arkansas was different. Williams finished with 21 points and knocked down two 3-pointers in the first quarter. She finished the afternoon shooting 3-for-5 from three.
Williams hadn’t made a 3-pointer since Texas A&M came to town on Jan. 11, where she shot 2-for-5.
Could her recent 3-point success at home and her struggles on the road just be a coincidence? Yes. But the Tiger faithful could also be her secret weapon for knocking down shots from behind the arc.
Hailey Van Lith scored in double figures as well. While she shot 2-for-6 from three, she finished with 20 points and six assists, shooting 7-for-18 from the field, and 4-for-4 from the foul line.
Flau’jae Johnson also made multiple 3-pointers, as she finished with 13 points, and shot 2-for-4 from three.
However, an unfamiliar face had a spot in the three-point club for Sunday’s matchup: Angel Reese. Reese made her lone 3-point attempt in the second quarter, and she finished with 16 points and 17 rebounds.
Aneesah Morrow came alive in the second half, as she finished with 14 points and eight rebounds. After six points in the first half, she scored six points in the third quarter. Aalyah Del Rosario added seven points and four rebounds off the bench.
The 3-point success from LSU was ironic, as Arkansas is known for enjoying the three ball. But the Razorbacks didn’t have the same luck, as they shot 12-for-47 from behind the arc.
Arkansas’ lack of 3-point success seemed to have deflated its offense as a whole.
Samara Spencer led the Razorbacks with 20 points along with seven assists. She shot 3-for-9 from three. Maryam Dauda scored 16 points, shooting 4-for-11 from three, and Makayla Daniels scored 13 points along with six rebounds.
LSU looked like the team many expect it to be in Sunday’s matchup. There never was a dull moment from the opening tip to the final buzzer. And much of that had to do with Williams.
Arkansas made Reese its priority to defend and Williams and LSU’s guards took advantage.
Williams scored an early five points to force a timeout from Arkansas, as LSU had built a 9-0 lead within the first three minutes of the game. Johnson also had five points in the opening quarter. Van Lith then scored eight points in the second quarter, and Williams added another five points.
While Reese was a defensive threat in the first quarter with seven rebounds in the opening quarter alone, she was held to just two rebounds in the second quarter.
It was important that LSU’s guards came alive as quickly as they did. In more competitive Southeastern Conference matchups, and especially the postseason, more teams will make Reese and Morrow their priority to control. To stay in games and win, Williams, Johnson and Van Lith become that much more important for the team.
Speaking of more competitive SEC matchups, LSU will be back in the PMAC on Thursday to take on Dawn Staley and her No. 1-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks. The Tigers will obviously be tested, and they arguably won’t have a more difficult test until the postseason.
The Tigers and the Gamecocks square off in the PMAC on Thursday at 7 p.m.
At 6 p.m. that night, ESPN will host College Gameday at the PMAC, marking the first time College Gameday has come to Baton Rouge for a women’s basketball game. The game will also be aired on ESPN.
