No. 7 LSU stumbled out of the gate but quickly regained its footing on Monday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
After some early turnovers, LSU coach Kim Mulkey called a full-court press that sparked a 16-0 run and set the stage for a dominant 98-59 victory over the visiting Troy Trojans.
The Tigers’ suffocating pressure defense led to numerous steals, easy transition points, and a commanding 34-point halftime lead.
Flau’jae Johnson led the charge, recording her fourth game this season with over 20 points, matching a career-high 27.
Aneesah Morrow also made her presence known with stifling defense and a double-double performance of 23 points and 13 rebounds. Mikaylah Williams added 14 points, while transfer forward Jersey Wolfenbarger chipped in a season-high 12 points off the bench.
In a surprise move, Mulkey started senior Amani Bartlett over sophomore Sa’Myah Smith, citing focus and hustle as deciding factors. Despite not starting, Smith still contributed nine points and eight rebounds off the bench for the Tigers. It was the first career start for Bartlett, a senior and the only remaining player from Mulkey’s first LSU team.
With the dominating win, LSU improved to 5-0 while Troy dropped to 1-4.
After the game, Morrow explained how she constantly looks for ways to energize LSU on both sides of the ball.
“I have to find a way to produce offensively or defensively to help my team,” Morrow said.
The Tigers’ full-court press proved too much for Troy, forcing the Trojans into 22 turnovers that led to 30 LSU points. The physical play of LSU also resulted in 36 fouls on Troy, allowing the Tigers to go 32-44 from the free throw line.
“We wanted to control the tempo of the game,” Morrow explained about their strategy.
Ashley Baez and Fortuna Ngnawo were the only Trojans to reach double figures with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
The second quarter saw both offenses struggling, but Johnson kept things going for LSU with two made free throws and later a layup just before halftime to give the Tigers a hefty 58-24 lead.
All told, LSU shot 17-33 from the field, including 3-7 from beyond the arc, and forced 16 turnovers in the first half.
Johnson finished the first half with 19 points, followed by Morrow with 12.
“We created a lot of things in the full-court press,” Mulkey said. “Getting to the foul line is great.”
The Trojans were the first to strike in the second half, but Williams fired back with a fierce mid-range jumper and layup on consecutive possessions, pushing LSU’s lead to 62-28.
The Tigers controlled the pace of the game, allowing Johnson to find her rhythm in the mid-range. Williams then showcased her playmaking skills with a slick pass to Smith for an and-1 bucket. An inbound pass from Last-Tear Poa resulted in another tough bucket for Smith, extending LSU’s lead to 34.
LSU’s relentless attack continued to draw fouls from Troy, giving the Trojans a total of five team fouls only five minutes into the third quarter. Johnson set up Wolfenbarger for an easy score in the paint, earning her double figures for the game. Morrow continued her dominance with her fourth double-double of the season and third consecutive. By the end of the third quarter, LSU led 80-44.
Morrow kicked off the fourth quarter with a made free throw for LSU. However, the Tigers’ offense went cold for almost five minutes before Morrow broke the dry spell with a smooth layup. The Tigers kept feeding Morrow in the paint, allowing her to easily score several buckets. She was unstoppable in the final quarter, scoring LSU’s first nine points of the period.
Be the first to comment