It was a dominant display of athleticism and skill. The No. 7 LSU Tigers obliterated Northwestern State, leaving the Demons in the dust with a crushing 95-36 victory on Friday night at the PMAC.
Flau’jae Johnson continued to impress for the Tigers, floating effortlessly on the court for an impressive 24 points and 7 rebounds. Mikaylah Williams also contributed with 16 points, while Kailyn Gilbert had 13 and Aneesah Morrow added 11 for the Tigers (2-0).
Despite a strong start by Northwestern State (1-1), hitting four 3-pointers in the first quarter, they were quickly overpowered by LSU’s relentless defense. The Demons wilted under the pressure, shooting a dismal 13.9% and committing 21 turnovers in the final three periods. They only managed to hit one more 3-pointer for the rest of the game, finishing with a measly 5 of 32 from beyond the arc.
“We had a lot of deflections, a lot of steals,” said Williams, “and then that defense translates into offense for us. So, if we go hard on the defensive end, then the offensive end comes easy.”
Kim Mulkey’s guard-heavy lineup proved its defensive mettle once again as they suffocated Northwestern State for the entire game, leaving them gasping for breath and unable to make shots.
Northwestern State struggled immensely during a stretch late in the second quarter where they missed an astounding 21 out of 22 shots before finally getting a layup from Mya Blake with just over seven minutes left in the game.
Thanks to tight rotations and relentless full-court pressure, LSU’s defense held strong against the Demons, forcing 18 turnovers and limiting them to just 14 points. Building on its lead from the first quarter, LSU unleashed a 50-14 run, turning a close game into a 74-28 rout by the end of the third period.
Johnson, who has been LSU’s top scorer this season, once again led the way with an impressive display of shooting and rebounding. In fact, she has been dominating on both ends of the court all season, averaging nearly 30 points per game on 68% shooting in their two exhibition games and scoring 25 points in their season opener against Eastern Kentucky.
“She just looks like she’s floating out there,” Mulkey said about Johnson. “Everything’s just effortless.”
The Tigers built their run with a lineup consisting of Johnson, Williams, Gilbert, Arkansas transfer Jersey Wolfenbarger, and sophomore Aalyah Del Rosario. Wolfenbarger made her presence known with a lefty hook shot and a layup, while Gilbert contributed with a pair of free throws and a fastbreak layup off an assist from Johnson. Del Rosario also got involved with a blocked shot that led to an impressive 3-pointer from Williams.
Before their dominant run, LSU implemented their full-court press defense, something Mulkey plans to use more frequently this season. Despite going through a cold shooting stretch at the end of the first quarter and beginning of the second quarter, LSU was able to regroup and find its rhythm again thanks to their intense defense.
“We’re gonna press, if nothing else, to get in shape,” Mulkey said. “I like to do that early in the season. I don’t care what the score is. I’m looking at my team. I’m looking at combinations. We’re by no means in shape, and what better time to do it than in a game because we gotta get in shape. We’re not there yet.”
Williams, the talented sophomore guard, proved to be a force to be reckoned with as she scored 16 points on an efficient 7-of-13 shooting, while also dishing out four assists, snagging four steals and grabbing four rebounds in LSU’s dominant victory. “I just wanted to come out and perform for my team,” Williams said post-game. “We all have each other’s backs out there.”
Gilbert, who transferred from Arizona, continued to impress in her second game with the Tigers. After scoring eight points in her debut on Monday, Gilbert erupted for 13 points, seven rebounds and six steals against Northwestern State. “It was great to see Kailyn step up and make an immediate impact for us,” Mulkey said.
The rest of the bench also contributed greatly for LSU, providing a boost in scoring. They were able to rack up 32 bench points thanks to the efforts of Wolfenbarger, Del Rosario, and senior Amani Bartlett who combined for 17 points on an impressive 6-of-11 shooting performance. Morrow added another 11 points and five rebounds off the bench.
Defensively, LSU was locked in from start to finish. After surrendering 14 points in the first quarter, they clamped down and allowed just 14 more points over the next two quarters. “Our defense is what sets us apart,” Williams said. “We thrive off getting stops and turning them into easy buckets.” The Tigers forced a whopping 28 turnovers and recorded an impressive 21 steals while holding Northwestern State to a dismal 19% shooting from the field.
Despite their struggles offensively, the Demons relied heavily on the three-point shot but couldn’t find consistent success as they only connected on 16% of their attempts from beyond the arc. “We knew they were going to shoot a lot of threes,” Williams explained. “But our defense was locked in and we did a great job contesting those shots.”
LSU also did a solid job of defending the paint, outscoring Northwestern 54-10 inside.
“I think it’s always a coaching point to keep the paint contained,” Williams said.
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