The No. 5 LSU Tigers returned to the SEC Tournament semifinal for the first time since 2018. The Tigers took on the No. 8 Mississippi State Bulldogs, who were fresh off a win against No. 1 Arkansas.
After a 2-0 quarterfinal shutout over No. 4 Tennessee, LSU continued to ride momentum to take down the Bulldogs 3-1.
The first whistle brought uncertainty to LSU as the ball was quick to be in Bulldog possession. Having to battle a tense Mississippi offense from the jump, the Tigers were quick to adapt, quickly gathering their footing to push play downfield.
What looked like it was going to be a back and forth game between two teams that were statistically evened out quickly became a game of unpredictability and consequential physicality as they fought for a final round spot.
Both teams were relentless in searching for opportunities. The Tigers focused on holding tight defensive lines while the Bulldogs were aggressive on transitional attacks. For much of the first 15 minutes, the LSU offense was quiet and contained with few scoring opportunities.
Plagued by five fouls in just 14 minutes, it was clear that LSU was having trouble putting the ball into action when given possession.
The Bulldogs found the first real look on goal in the game’s 28th minute off a free kick, however missed the opportunity to get on the scoreline.
Wasting no time to respond, LSU found a counter downfield to quickly turn the game’s pace. Battling both the sun and a rushing LSU offense, Mississippi State keeper Jenny Harrison came off the line as junior Ava Galligan tapped in the ball for the match’s first goal and her 10th of the season.
Now in control with a 1-0 lead, the Tigers’ play began looking even more electric. Unwilling to allow an answer back from the Bulldogs, LSU continued to press the ball with aggression.
Though the Tigers spent more time defending in their own half, the purple and gold defense proved to be a steady line in front of keeper Auder Scheving who saw another night between the posts.
Though chances were limited, the LSU offense put up scoring drives when given the chance. A rush downfield saw a shot by fifth-year senior Morgan Witz, who carried a tad too much power, sending the ball just over the top left corner of Mississippi State’s net.
Play shifted back and forth between both teams until a pivotal moment turned the night in favor of the Tigers. With just 17 minutes left in the half, a physical clash between Mississippi State’s Rebeka Vega-Peleka and LSU’s Gadea Blanco Gonzales in the Bulldogs penalty box drew a controversial whistle that gave the Tigers a penalty kick and also saw the red card ejection of Vega-Peleka.
A team that has scored on 10 of 23 set pieces in conference play, it was no different tonight. A clean shot by Ida Hermannsdottir put the Tigers up 2-0.
The action was far from over. Just three short minutes later, Gonzalez delivered a cross into the box off a pass from Hernmansdottir and freshman Sariyah Bailey delivered a header that found the back of the net. Marking her seventh goal of the season, the freshman extended LSU’s lead to 3-0.
As the final minutes ticked down, LSU stayed on top of a cracking Mississippi State team in search of one more goal. However, with two minutes left in the half, Mississippi State earned one last chance to score with a corner kick.
Delivering the set was senior Ally Perry, and in a last-ditch chance, Tatum Borman rose for a header to slip the ball past Scheving, cutting LSU’s lead to 3-1 by the break.
Opening up the second half with a two goal deficit, LSU was quick to keep momentum high. An early foul by senior Sydney Cheesman handed Mississippi State a free kick that was quickly followed by a corner kick after a Tiger defensive effort.
Before the Bulldogs could take the set piece, play was stopped for a downed Cheesman. Just three minutes into the half, Cheesman was substituted for Analeigh Bruser as she walked off the field with medical officials.
Without the presence of Cheesman on the Tiger backline, LSU leaned into an even more aggressive defense in trying to shut down any building pressure.
Coming up on the 55th minute, Bailey had picked up the first yellow card for LSU during a stretch of back and forth play to give Mississippi State a free kick. Cleared away by a Tiger header, a following corner kick had the same fate as LSU shut down both scoring chances.
The battle between both halves continued as LSU looked for any opportunity to increase the gap. On a specific drive, Hermannsdottir drove the ball deep into Bulldog territory, however a shot that found its way off Makenna Dominguez carried just above the cross bar for a whistle.
Not long after was a yellow card given to LSU’s Ava Amsden for persistent infringement. A following defensive effort by Gabbi Ceballos led to another unfortunate foul for the Tigers.
Setting up for the dangerous free kick, Perry took the shot but skimmed just wide of the bottom right goalpost. Moments later, the Bulldogs nearly capitalized on a rare misstep by Scheving, who hesitated on a pass, but LSU was fortunate to avoid a quick Mississippi State rebound.
Not long after, the Bulldogs had gained another scoring chance on a free kick situated in front of the LSU box, but an easy save by Scheving had stopped the threat on goal.
The battle remained intense late in the game as Mississippi State was desperate to narrow LSU’s lead. Both teams were strong when pushing for late game opportunities that would change the scoreline.
By the 60th minute, Scheving had continued her impressive performance with key saves for the Tigers, remaining composed in front of the Bulldog offense.
Another chance to close the gap came and went for Mississippi State following a free kick that was overshot by Perry, and mere minutes later was a third yellow card on Mireia Sánchez late in the game for time wasting.
With final rushes on the LSU backline, an offside call had killed the chance for a needed Mississippi State corner kick and returned possession to LSU.
Just two minutes later was a final set-piece chance for the Bulldogs with three minutes before the final whistle to go, but a misplaced delivery never threatened Scheving who easily caught the ball.
Despite the Bulldogs’ persistent offensive pressure, the final buzzer had locked in a 3-1 Tiger victory, sending Mississippi State home and LSU to the tournament final for the first time since it won in 2018.
The Tigers will battle it out against either Vanderbilt or Georgia in the SEC Championship Final on Sunday afternoon for a chance to win it all at 1:30 pm CT.
