Sunday evening marked a positive ending to LSU women’s basketball’s regular season.
The Tigers pulled off a 74-59 win over Mississippi State on senior night, a win that put LSU at 27-1, matching the program’s best regular season record.
During the senior night ceremony, Alexis Morris, LaDazhia Williams, Jasmine Carson and Emily Ward were all honored at center court at halftime. In addition, Sunday’s game held the largest crowd in PMAC history of 15,721, breaking a record set earlier this season.
“I was emotional for all four of them, before the game and after the game,” Coach Kim Mulkey said. “Because they will never play another regular season last game in their home arena.”
The win was led by the Tigers’ two post players in Angel Reese and LaDazhia Williams. Reese secured her 27th double-double of the season with 23 points and 26 rebounds. With that double-double, she tied Sylvia Fowles’ record for most double-doubles in a season. But Williams was her “partner in crime” in Sunday’s game, finishing with 16 points and four rebounds.
“I think it’s just me being aggressive and knowing that I can score also,” Williams said. “Just playing my role and doing whatever my team needs me to do.”
With the team’s veteran player, Alexis Morris, being honored during senior night, it was fitting that she’d make her mark in the game. The fifth-year senior scored 23 points along with five rebounds.
“Thank you to coach Mulkey for giving me the opportunity to receive this day,” Morris said. “I’m just thankful to see and celebrate this moment with people who have known me since I was a kid.”
For Mississippi State, Jerkaila Jordan led the Bulldogs with 16 points along with four rebounds and two assists. She also shot five for six from the foul line. Jessika Carter added 10 points and six points.
“We just played, in my opinion, the hottest team in the SEC,” Mulkey said. “Those guys take you off the dribble as good as anybody. They played South Carolina to within eight. They had beaten a lot of teams as of late. They’re playing good.”
The end of the regular season means one thing: the much-anticipated postseason for LSU is ahead.
Mulkey and her team learned a lot about themselves as of late, especially since their loss to South Carolina. Reese is a player the team can always depend on, and Morris’ experience will be something the team uses to their advantage, but other pieces have been filling in as well.
As seen on Sunday, Williams can be a threat to partner with Reese. For a team that doesn’t have many post players, Reese and Williams have shown on multiple occasions that they can work together well and still dominate in the paint.
Carson has also displayed her great shooting ability. She scored a career-high 25 points with seven made three-pointers against Florida last Sunday and 20 points with four made threes in late January against Alabama.
The three-point shot wasn’t hitting for her against Mississippi State, but Carson has shown that once she finds her shot, it’s hard for her to lose it.
Flau’jae Johnson has also shown her growth in maturity as conference play has gone on. This was most evident against Tennessee when she locked down Jordan Horston, who is a projected top-10 WNBA Draft pick.
She held her to just 11 points. Kateri Poole, Last-Tear Poa and Sa’Myah Smith have also become reliable players off the bench that LSU can rely on in the long run.
LSU has proved itself as the regular season comes to an end. With one of the best regular season records in program history, the Tigers have a lot to be confident about. They’ve had bumps in the road, but they’re now in the spot they expected to be in as the SEC Tournament is upon them.
The SEC tournament will take place at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina from March 1 to March 5. The Tigers hold a No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament, and their first game will be on Friday at 5 p.m. CT against the winner of the No. 7 seed and No. 10 seed matchup. The game will be broadcasted live on the SEC Network.
