Led by Flau’jae Johnson’s dominant performance, Aneesah Morrow and Mikaylah Williams came up big for No. 7 LSU (1-0) in their season opener against Eastern Kentucky (0-1). The Tigers demolished the Colonels with a final score of 95-44.
“Flau’jae played effortlessly…and Morrow plays as hard as anyone I’ve coached,” praised LSU coach Kim Mulkey.
Johnson led the charge with 25 points on 10-for-15 shooting, along with 5 rebounds and 2 assists.
Morrow also had an impressive showing with a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Sa’Myah Smith added 15 points and 11 rebounds.
“We want to be known as a team that plays hard for the entire game,” said Smith.
On the other hand, EKU struggled to keep up with only three players scoring a meager 9 points each. LSU’s solid defense limited them to just 26% shooting.
“We’re not sure if pressing will be our identity but if you’re going to play on this team, you better be able to press and help create opportunities,” said Coach Mulkey about their defensive strategy.
The Tigers got off to a strong start, with Morrow hitting a mid-range jumper just seconds into the game. Johnson then scored eight quick points to give LSU an early lead. Despite EKU’s initial success from behind the arc, Johnson helped swing the momentum back in favor of the Tigers.
“They missed a lot of open shots,” Mulkey said. “So, let’s not pretend our defense was that great, holding them to 44 points? They missed a lot of open shots.”
LSU continued to dominate on both ends of the court throughout the game. Even with two key defenders out due to injury and personal matters, Mulkey expects her team to continue applying full-court pressure.
Under Mulkey’s leadership, LSU has an impressive record of 38 wins out of their last 40 regular season non-conference games and three out of four season openers.
The Tigers will look to maintain their momentum as they take on Northwestern State at home on Friday at 7 p.m.
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