No. 5 LSU is headed to South Carolina on Thursday for its highly-anticipated matchup against the No. 2 Gamecocks unbeaten and, more importantly, improving in two areas: protecting the ball and playing tougher defense.
LSU’s latest win on Sunday, a solid 80-63 victory over Florida, showcased LSU’s ability to dominate on the court.
Mikaylah Williams, Flau’jae Johnson, and Aneesah Morrow led the way in a 17-0 run to start the fourth quarter that left Florida struggling to keep up. Johnson kicked off the scoring with a sharp jumper while Morrow finished strong with an easy layup. The Tigers shot an impressive 8 of 9 during this stretch, while Florida struggled, missing their first six attempts.
Williams led LSU with 22 points and eight rebounds while Morrow recorded her 18th double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds. This marks Morrow’s 92nd double-double, tying her for second all-time with Oregon’s Jillian Alleyne.
Johnson added 19 points on 8 of 17 shooting from the field, including one 3 pointer. Eight of Johnson’s came in the first few minutes of the fourth quarter during LSU’s 17-0 run that put the game well out of reach.
With a perfect record of 20-0 and 5-0 in the SEC, LSU is bringing an unblemished record and hopes its A-game against the Gamecocks.
Prior to this commanding win, LSU played two close SEC games. The Tigers narrowly defeated No. 15 Tennessee by just two points on January 9th and followed up with a late-game surge for a six-point victory over Vanderbilt. However, their performance against Florida was not as close as the score even indicated. LSU built a 28-point lead and then Kim Mulkey started subbing, which allowed the Gators cut into the LSU lead.
LSU’s fierce defense played a crucial role in its convincing win. Florida only made 9 of their 28 shots during the second and third quarters where the Tigers outscored them 44-27. LSU’s relentless pressure caused 24 turnovers leading to an impressive 35 points off those mistakes. Overall, Florida struggled to find their rhythm, shooting just 38% from the field, making them the second SEC opponent this season to shoot below 40% against LSU’s tough defense.
LSU’s bench scored only 11 points, marking the second consecutive game with limited contributions from its reserves.
For Florida, freshman guard Liv McGill stood out with her performance of 21 points and 6 assists while freshman Me’Arah O’Neal, daughter of LSU legend Shaquille O’Neal, grabbed 7 rebounds in just 15 minutes.
LSU got off to a strong start in Gainesville on Sunday with a blazing 7-0 run, but Florida quickly called for a timeout to regroup. They were able to break through LSU’s defense by switching to a zone strategy which slowed down the Tigers’ offense. However, by halftime, LSU was able to hold onto a narrow 37-33 lead after trailing by as many as six points.
After returning from the break, LSU tightened their defense and ignited their transition offense, setting the tone for a dominant second half and adding another win to their impressive start – one of the best in program history.
Mulkey’s legacy of excellence is continuing, securing at least 20 wins in each of her 25 seasons. Meanwhile, Morrow achieved her 92nd career double-double, tying her with Oregon’s Jillian Alleyne for the second-most in NCAA Division I history.
Looking ahead, the Tigers are preparing for what promises to be an exciting matchup against No. 2 South Carolina scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
The way LSU women’s basketball starts their games has been a topic of discussion all season. In Gainesville, they put those concerns to rest with their fast 7-0 start and an explosive 14-1 run in the second quarter, outscoring the Gators 16-5 and extending their lead.
While not every strategic move made by Mulkey paid off at first, her timely adjustments allowed LSU to take control of the game. The final score of 80-63 against Florida is a strong statement heading into their showdown with South Carolina.
The Tigers were determined to protect the ball going into this game. Despite averaging 16 turnovers per game in SEC play, they turned over the new leaf against Florida, only committing nine turnovers throughout the game with three of those turnovers coming in the final four minutes of play after Mulkey had begun substituting and Florida’s starters were still in the game.
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