The foul line became a familiar place for LSU women’s basketball in its 98-59 win over Troy Monday night.
As a team, Troy committed 36 fouls, with 11 in the first quarter alone. The Tigers took a total of 44 shots from the foul line, making 32 (72.7%).
Of LSU’s 98 points, 32 of them came from the foul line (33%).
Flau’jae Johnson took 11 of those free throws, making nine. On the night, she finished with 27 points along with nine rebounds and five assists.
Johnson’s ability to drive and score gave her the edge against Troy. With her 15 points in the first quarter, she surpassed Troy’s 14 points single-handedly. She finished shooting 8-for-14 from the field and 2-for-4 from three.
Just as Johnson found lanes to the basket, Aneesah Morrow held her own under the basket as well. She finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 8-for-11 from the field. As a whole, LSU finished with 40 points in the paint.
Not only were Johnson and Morrow effective in the paint, but their defense also gave LSU more opportunities on offense.
Johnson and Morrow combined for eight steals, with three and five, respectively. Troy had 22 turnovers as a team, and LSU was able to score 30 points off those turnovers.
Jersey Wolfenbarger added another 12 points and three rebounds in the frontcourt, shooting 4-for-5 from the field. Sa’Myah Smith added nine points and eight rebounds in the paint.
While LSU drove to the basket most effectively, it still found success from the perimeter. Mikaylah Williams finished with 14 points, shooting 6-for-9 from the field and 2-for-2 from three. Jada Richard added eight points.
Turnovers still present an issue to LSU, as five players had multiple turnovers for the Tigers. Flau’jae Johnson led the team with six turnovers.
In the loss for Troy, Ashley Baez led the team with 12 points and five steals, and Fortuna Ngnawo added 10 points and six rebounds.
Foul trouble was not an issue for LSU Monday night, but an encouraging sign for the Tigers going forward is how Mulkey is using the increased depth she has this season for times where fouls may be an issue.
Eleven different players appeared in the game Monday night. Of those 11 players, 10 played double-digit minutes.
Mjracle Sheppard continues to be sidelined from her stress reaction injury.
One player Mulkey is looking to implement more as a consistent option in the rotation is Amani Bartlett.
Bartlett, a senior forward, has been in the system at LSU since Mulkey’s first season in Baton Rouge, when Bartlett was a freshman.
With Bartlett fitting into a role more and more throughout the coming weeks, Mulkey not only gains additional depth but also valuable experience on the floor.
The Tigers improved to 5-0 on the season after their win Monday night. On Wednesday, they’ll welcome an in-state program to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
LSU will tip-off with Tulane on Wednesday at 7 p.m., and the game will be televised live on SEC Network+.