By Todd Horne
Aneesah Morrow was an unstoppable force on the court.
With Morrow racking up 30 points and 19 rebounds, and Kailyn Gilbert coming through with a pivotal block that paved the way for Mikaylah Williams’ decisive layup with just 1:07 left on the clock, No. 3 seed LSU staged a thrilling comeback to defeat the second-seeded N.C. State 80-73 in a nail-biting women’s NCAA Tournament regional semifinal on Friday.
The Wolfpack held a 69-64 edge with 4:29 remaining, but LSU, fueled by Williams’ tenacity, surged ahead. Williams delivered 10 points in the final quarter, and after Gilbert’s critical block on N.C. State’s Zoe Brooks, Williams capitalized on the opportunity, converting it into a 74-73 lead — sparking a game-closing 10-0 run for the Tigers, who now boast a 31-5 record.
LSU, the national champions from two years ago under coach Kim Mulkey, secured a spot in the Elite Eight for the third consecutive year. The Tigers will play on Sunday against No. 1 UCLA, a 76-62 winner over No. 5 Mississippi on Friday night. The game tips at 2 p.m. CT on ABC. Mulkey, already a legend with three national titles from her time at Baylor, continues to build her legacy.
Sa’Myah Smith also came through huge for LSU, contributing 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Williams closed out with 17 points and eight boards.
For N.C. State (28-7), Brooks led the charge with 21 points, but coach Wes Moore’s squad fell just short in their quest for a second straight Final Four appearance.
The contest was a rollercoaster with seven lead changes and four ties, and LSU’s 21-10 advantage in the opening quarter marked the largest lead for either side. Morrow set the tone early, scoring 10 points in the first period.
“I believe there are five players in our locker room who have yet to experience a Sweet 16,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said, referring to Kailyn Gilbert, Mjracle Sheppard, Shayeann Day-Wilson, Jersey Wolfenbarger, and Jada Richard.
“They haven’t reached an Elite 8 either, and that’s what excites you as a coach—giving your players something new and making sure they never take it for granted.
“We made key plays at the end. Sure, we also made a few mistakes down the stretch, but we executed enough to pull out the win, which means we did some really good things.”
Morrow was nothing short of outstanding, logging her 30th double-double of the season with 30 points, 19 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.
“Nobody likes to lose, so during the huddle I told my teammates that we needed to take our matchups personally,” Morrow said. “We had to dominate, make defensive stops, and that’s exactly what we managed to do at the end of the game.”
Smith added 11 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals, to her career-high tying 21 points while Williams had 8 rebounds, and 6 assists to go with her 19 points.
Zoe Brooks led NC State by being one of three players to reach double figures, finishing with 21.
It was a game of constant momentum shifts. LSU jumped to a double-digit lead in the first quarter, but the Wolfpack rallied to hold a four-point advantage at halftime. The teams exchanged blows in the third quarter, with the margin never exceeding three points throughout.
In the final period, the Wolfpack took control early, but Williams helped LSU get back on track by scoring six consecutive points. The Tigers, coming together in the clutch, secured their ninth win of the season by 10 points or less. With under two minutes remaining, Kailyn Gilbert delivered a crucial block after being beaten off the dribble, leading to a basket by Williams that sealed the win.
“She outmaneuvered me on that play—I saw her bring the ball in front of me just enough, so I went up, got it, chased it down, and pushed the ball forward,” Gilbert explained.
Smith opened the scoring for LSU with six points before Williams got involved to secure an early 10-5 lead. The Tigers built a 10-point advantage, 18-8, when Morrow knocked down a three-pointer just past the midway mark of the quarter. Morrow scored 9 points in the first quarter, Williams added 8, and Smith contributed six, making them the only three Tiger scorers and giving LSU a 23-15 lead after one period. LSU came out firing, hitting 46 percent in the first quarter, while holding NC State to 30 percent.
Within the first three minutes of the second quarter, LSU cooled off and NC State tied the game at 25. The Tigers scored the next four points, but then NC State countered with five straight to take the lead. Kailyn Gilbert knocked down her first shot, briefly giving LSU the advantage. Although NC State reclaimed a three-point lead, Gilbert responded by tying the game at 34. LSU headed into halftime trailing 40-36.
LSU evened the score within the first minute and a half after the break. Flau’Jae Johnson brought LSU back on a fastbreak, scoring her first points of the game. The Tigers then held NC State scoreless for over three minutes, taking a 51-48 lead at the media timeout, and went into the fourth quarter with a 57-53 advantage.
In the first two minutes of the final quarter, NC State held LSU scoreless and retook the lead, eventually building a five-point advantage. LSU attempted a comeback, cutting the deficit to two as Morrow reached 30 and attacked inside, prompting a timeout with 4:38 remaining. After the timeout, NC State extended its lead with a three-pointer, again up by five. However, Williams scored the subsequent four points to bring it within one, and LSU managed to pull ahead late and close the victory, 80-73.
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