In an epic comeback, No. 5 LSU (10-0) overcame a 15-point deficit in the first quarter to defeat Stanford (7-2) in overtime, remaining undefeated.
Led by super sophomore Mikaylah Williams’ dominant performance of 32 points and 9 rebounds, the Tigers refused to back down despite trailing for most of the game. Stanford’s tough shots kept LSU at bay, but Williams and her teammates never gave up the fight.
With just 40 seconds left on the clock, it seemed like Stanford had secured the victory with a six-point lead. But Williams drew a foul and scored, cutting the lead to three. After another quick basket from Stanford, Jada Richard found Kailyn Gilbert for a clutch three-pointer, narrowing the gap to just two points.
In a crucial moment, Flau’Jae Johnson’s defensive play off an inbound pass saved the day for LSU as she deflected the ball off a Stanford player and gave the Tigers possession with 15 seconds remaining. Gilbert expertly brought the ball up the court and delivered a perfect pass to Williams who sunk a turnaround jumper to tie the game at 80 and send it into overtime.
And in overtime, it was all about Williams as she continued her dominance with six more points, including two three-pointers. Gilbert also stepped up big for her team off the bench, scoring a season-high 25 points on an impressive shooting performance of 9-12 and adding four assists.
After the game, LSU coach Kim Mulkey praised Gilbert’s contributions, saying “She listens, she wants to do good, and when you contribute like she has been for our team, you should have tears of joy.”
Williams’ efficient shooting propelled her to her impressive total of 32 points while Aneesah Morrow may not have gotten a double-double this time around but still pulled in a game-high 16 rebounds.
Despite being hurt by Stanford’s backdoor cuts, the Tigers limited their turnovers to just four and forced 15 turnovers from their opponents, including 11 steals, ultimately doubling their points off turnovers.
Next up for LSU is a face-off against Grambling in Williams’ hometown of Bossier City on Sunday at 2 p.m.
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