LSU women’s basketball faced an unfamiliar predicament after their loss to South Carolina Sunday: having to bounce back from a loss.
However, the Tigers had no problem returning to the winner’s column, as they knocked off Ole Miss 69-60 Thursday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The game was a “pink out” for LSU fans, as the game was a Play4Kay Breast Cancer Awareness Game.
Aside from earning its 24th win of the season, LSU proved it’s capable of handling adversity. Now that the Tigers found their way through it, they will be able to use the experience in maneuvering through these types of obstacles once the postseason arrives.
Angel Reese recorded her 23rd double-double of the season in Thursday’s matchup, and she put on a show. She led the team with an impressive 36 points and 20 rebounds on the night.
“I know last game I didn’t help my team win,” Reese said. “That game was tough on me for the past two days. So I knew coming out tonight my team needed me, and it was just about how I was going to respond tonight. I feel like I responded well and did what I could to get the win.”
Alexis Morris also chipped in with her veteran experience, which will continue to be significant headed into March. She finished with 15 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Flau’jae Johnson showed her ability to do it all with eight points, four rebounds, two assists and three steals. La’Dazhia Williams added eight points.
For Ole Miss, Angel Baker led the Rebels in scoring with 21 points, along with eight rebounds and three assists. Madison Scott added 13 points along with four rebounds, and Marquesha Davis added 11 points and five rebounds. Rita Ibokwe presented a challenge in the paint for the Rebels, grabbing nine rebounds, along with five blocks.
“I thought there were some opportunities that we missed, and we did not take advantage of,” Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said. “I thought we could’ve taken the lead in multiple situations, and we just didn’t.”
The concern leading up to the matchup with the Rebels was how the Tigers would respond to their defense. Despite it being Ole Miss’ strongpoint, LSU contained them. Instead, the Tigers played a well-executed defense of their own and forced 21 turnovers.
“We got our hands on a lot of steals,” Kim Mulkey said. “You just created 21 turnovers, and I thought that was a big part of the scouting report as well.”
With a slight roadblock against South Carolina, LSU took the detour and is now back on track. Their ability to rediscover their momentum quickly will serve them well in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments.
The Tigers will fly to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators on Sunday at 1 p.m. from the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The game will be broadcasted live on the SEC Network.
“They’re going to grind,” Mulkey said of her team. “They’re going to have moments where it’s frustrating, they’re going to get frustrated at each other, I’m going to get frustrated at them, it’s that time of the year. That’s why you can never have a negative thought when you go to practice this time of year.”
