There were coaches yelling at referees, ejections and trash talk. This game had all the intensity you would expect from a matchup between two top-15 teams.
A sea of white filled the PMAC as the LSU faithful wore white shirts and surrounded the court to prepare for the No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners. LSU prevailed in the matchup, winning 107-100, but it wasn’t easy.
Not even six minutes into the game, we had our first altercation. LSU forward Sa’Myah Smith and Oklahoma’s Beatrice Culliton got physical while battling for position under the basket, which led to Smith’s shove. Standing up for her teammate, Oklahoma’s Liz Scott retaliated by shoving Smith right after. Smith and Scott were both ejected and will face a one-game suspension for their next games.
It was a physical game throughout, with multiple fouls and some calls being reviewed and even upgraded. Aalyah Del Rosario was originally given an offensive foul, but the call was later upgraded to a flagrant foul. Del Rosario was also given a technical for flopping, which was applied as a team technical. Oklahoma’s head coach, Jennie Baranczyk, was also given a technical foul in this game.
There were 53 team fouls between both teams, five technical fouls and two ejections.
In this intense matchup, the Tigers scored 52 points in the first half on 53% shooting from the field and 50% from the three-point line.
Mikaylah Williams put on a clinic in the first half, scoring 20 points and shooting 66% from the field and 75% from downtown.
Although LSU led 52-42, the Sooners were not going away. Oklahoma’s Payton Verhust scored 17 points while shooting 46% from the field. Verhust kept the Sooners in the game and gave them a chance heading into the locker rooms.
As the second half got underway, the Tigers extended their lead and led by 24 points at one point. However, when you’re playing one of the best teams in the country, you’re not allowed to slow down on the gas.
Oklahoma slowly stormed back in the second half and cut the once-large lead to one in the fourth quarter.
“Like Coach Mulvey said, turnovers, and what she’s been saying,” Williams said. “We can’t defend the free throw line, so turning the ball over on top of sitting into the free throw line is not a good mix.”
However, the Tigers avoided the Sooners’ late-game heroics, as Williams scored 17 points in the second half, including a big three-pointer with less than a minute to help put the game away.
Williams finished the game with 37 points, 60% shooting from the field and 58% from the three-point line.
When Williams’ number was called, she delivered. Oklahoma applied pressure on the Tigers near the end, and when it was time for someone to step up and make a shot, it was Williams.
“I know when I hit a shot early that it’s going to be a real big game for me,” Williams said. “So just like I said earlier, just very thankful for my teammates for feeding the hot hand and finding me at the end of the game.”
She wasn’t the only one to have a big game tonight. Flau’Jae Johnson scored 25 points while shooting 58% from the field. Her teammate Aneesah Morrow again put up a double-double, scoring 21 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
In the most points scored in an SEC game in program history, the big three of Williams, Johnson and Morrow combined for 83 of the Tigers’ 107 points.
After a couple of rough shooting nights, the Tigers shot exceptionally well from the field and the three-point line. LSU shot 52% from the field and 46% from three.
“Reps, just like I always say, reps don’t lie,” Williams said. The game rewards hard work, and we just continued to work hard and knew eventually it was going to have to fall because of how much work we put in. So reps and not losing confidence.”
