For most of Sunday afternoon, LSU’s mood and temperament were just right.
No. 5 LSU controlled the game against No. 3 Texas, playing tough defense and operating its offense efficiently. That was the case for three quarters, anyway.
However, LSU couldn’t hang on late.
LSU Associate Head Coach Bob Starkey said the Tigers learned a bit more about themselves at The Moody Center in Austin, Texas on Sunday.
“I think that’s what disappoints us – we’re still figuring out if we’re a Final Four contender or a Sweet 16 team. We’ve got a couple of gears to go to reach our goals,” Starkey said.
Madison Booker scored 16 points, including four consecutive free throws in the final 24 seconds, as Texas overcame a woeful shooting start to rally for a 65-58 victory over LSU.
Texas was just 7 of 37 shooting in the first half and trailed by as much as 12 in the third quarter. Booker, the Longhorns’ leading scorer this season, missed all 11 shot attempts in the first half after averaging nearly 21 points over the previous nine games.
But Texas (26-2, 11-1 SEC) fought through the slow start to take a 50-49 lead on Bryanna Preston’s basket with just under 6 minutes to play and never trailed again.
Rori Harmon’s consecutive baskets pushed the Texas lead to 61-56 before Booker closed out Texas’ 10th straight victory. Texas also earned its third win over a top-10 opponent in eight days.
Aneesah Morrow had 15 points and 20 rebounds to lead the Tigers (25-2, 10-2).
“Looking at the fourth quarter, we had a lead, so there was no reason we couldn’t reestablish ourselves. I’m really disappointed with the fourth quarter,” Starkey said.
“Defensively, Texas was the same as the first three quarters, but we got a little tired. I think we still need a bit of toughness to be one of the elite teams. We’re really good, but we’re not quite there. We need to get open when the game is close and when we’re playing against pressure, and we didn’t have that today again,” Starkey said.
LSU let the Longhorns back in the game with a run of fouls in the third quarter. Texas scored eight of its last 10 points in the quarter from the free throw line to stay within five heading into the fourth.
Texas freshman guard Justice Carlton got her first career start and finished with five points and six rebounds in 17 minutes. One of the top recruits in the country, the 6-foot-1 guard averages 6.2 points and had hardly seen the floor over the last few weeks. She had played just eight minutes over the previous six games.
After Preston swished a 3-pointer with 1 minute left in the first half, Texas started the third quarter with an 8-0 scoring run.
Texas went 21 of 21 from the free throw line.
LSU’s big three stood out: Michaela Williams scored 18 points, Flau’jae Johnson had 16, and Morrow added 15 points and 20 rebounds.
“At the end, Texas made the shots they needed. To an extent, we let Harmon get into the paint and get a couple of short ones. We need to eliminate those. If we make Booker make tough shots, we can live with that. I thought we did an excellent job on her today, but we let a couple of others get loose in places we shouldn’t have,” Starkey said.
“Our first-half defense was very active, and we had good help. Booker missed some shots she normally makes, and we made her work on both ends of the floor, taking away from her legs. But she’s a great player and came back strong in the second half.
“Our first-half defense was really good. I wish we could have cleaned up a few things offensively to have a bigger cushion at halftime. But I give Texas credit – they’re one of the top four teams in the country, and we expected this type of game,” Starkey said.
“It takes 40 minutes to go where we want to go, and we need to find a way to do that. We had some people who didn’t contribute as they have been, so this is a game where everyone needs to step up.
“We’re in a tough stretch now, with three out of five games on the road against ranked teams, including two top-ten teams. Then we finish up at home against a really strong Ole Miss team. It’s a brutal stretch, and it felt a little like postseason today,” Starkey said.
But it wasn’t, not yet. LSU still has some time.
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