With five games remaining in the regular season, No. 14 LSU (20-4, 8-3 SEC) is set for a road matchup against Texas A&M (14-9, 4-7 SEC) Sunday at 2 p.m. CT inside Reed Arena.
All five games are important for LSU down the stretch. The Tigers are tied for third with Florida in the SEC heading into Sunday’s matchup.
LSU controls its own destiny in the conference with the opportunity to finish as high as No. 2 in the SEC after being picked No. 8 in the preseason. The Tigers are also playing with the chance to earn one of the Top-16 seeds in the NCAA Tournament which would allow them to host the first and second rounds inside the PMAC.
“There are many (teams) left in our schedule that are fighting for byes in the SEC tournament and hosting first and second rounds,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said.
The game will be streamed on the SEC Network + and will be broadcast locally over 107.3 FM.
LSU’s relied on a triple-threat in the backcourt of Khayla Pointer, Alexis Morris and Jailin Cherry has played as one of the nation’s top trio of guards. Pointer is playing as one of the premier players in the NCAA and is on numerous National Player of the Year Watch Lists. Morris, who played at Texas A&M last season, has been a critical addition this season for the Tigers who has provided a spark scoring the ball. Cherry is on pace to set new career marks for points per game, rebounds per game and assists per game.
In LSU’s win on Thursday over No. 17 Georgia, Pointer (21), Morris (26) and Cherry (18) combined for 65 of LSU’s 73 points. LSU’s backcourt scored from all three levels of the court, but the Tigers are looking to get more production from their post players as well. Faustine Aifuwa was in foul trouble much of the game against Georgia and although Autumn Newby only scored three points, she was important on the boards with nine rebounds.
“We have to get more production from our posts,” Mulkey said following the Georgia game. “We have to have confidence in ourselves to throw it in there and I don’t know we did much of that tonight. It might have been because we knew (Jenna) Staiti was back and she’s tall and altering shots. It could have been foul trouble with Faustine.”
LSU and Texas A&M matched up earlier in the season on January 2 and Morris exploded for a career-high 30 points (23 in the second half) against her former team. The Tigers beat the Aggies by nine points.
“They haven’t forgotten that we beat them here (in Baton Rouge),” Mulkey said. “And really they’re trying to improve their resume. They’re trying to get some quality wins to maybe be on that bubble.”
Texas A&M will enter Sunday’s game on a three-game winning streak, looking to make a late season push to earn an NCAA Tournament berth. The Aggies are on the bubble to make the postseason tournament after beginning conference play 1-7. But in Head Coach Gary Blair’s final season the Aggies, who won the SEC regular season title last season, are refusing to go quietly.
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