LSU women’s basketball fell to Ole Miss 85-77 Sunday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center after a 13-point halftime lead evaporated in the second half. Coach Kim Mulkey, who lined up her senior players to honor them in an emotional final home game, said the absence of star Flau’jae Johnson—even as junior guard Kailyn Gilbert earned her first start and senior Last-Tear Poa led the point—proved too steep an obstacle.
Johnson, sidelined with shin inflammation that has troubled her since the Texas matchup, was held out of the game as Mulkey looked ahead to conserving her energy for the NCAA Tournament.
Johnson will not play in next week’s SEC Tournament in Greenville, Mulkey said.
Without their leading scorer, the Tigers struggled to contain the Rebels’ hot outside shooting and a defensive scheme that smothered standout performers Aneesah Morrow and Mikaylah Williams.
Morrow, entering the game one double-double shy of 100, seized a historic moment on Senior Night. With typical determination, she recorded her 100th double-double, finishing with 28 points and 12 rebounds while donning a jersey emblazoned with “Morreaux” to honor her time at LSU much like Joe Burrow did with LSU football in his senior finale against Texas A&M in 2019.
The Rebels reversed a 13-point deficit early in the third quarter, sparked by guards K.K. Deans and Tameiya Sadler who knocked down multiple deep-range shots. Ole Miss’ second-half surge, combined with five costly turnovers by LSU, ultimately sealed the win.
The loss marks LSU’s first back-to-back blemish on a 27-4 overall, 12-4 SEC record since last season’s losses to South Carolina and Mississippi State.
Reflecting on the game during her postgame radio appearance, Mulkey said, “It was turnover city. 23 turnovers. You have a 13-point lead. You run the first play of the third quarter. You have turnovers with your main players. It is what it is.”
Mulkey expressed frustration over LSU’s inability to overcome Johnson’s absence, adding, “With Flau’jae gone, I don’t know that we’ll win another game, to be honest with you. So, until she comes back and we get in the flow, it is what it is. We’re still third place in the SEC, right? So we’ll have the third seat, and what I hate is that we had a good crowd today in the middle of Mardi Gras. What I hate is we have a chance to break a record and get 28 wins for the first time. What I hate is its two losses back-to-back. But I don’t regret sitting Flau’jae. Aneesah Morrow and Mikaylah Williams did their part.”
When asked about LSU’s seemingly comfortable 13-point halftime lead, Mulkey noted, “Well, we took care of the ball. We took care of the ball in the second quarter. But if you look at rebounding, I mean, just look at our rebounding, look how many minutes kids played on the perimeter and how few rebounds that they had. So, you turn the ball over, they post you up inside. They got to the foul line. They made free throws, you know, when it mattered. Bottom line is, we’ve got to move on.
“You can draw up whatever you want, but if you can’t take care of the basketball, you’re not going to win games.”
Mulkey continued, “So am I surprised? I’m not surprised we lost. I’m disappointed that we can’t seem to just fill in when you have a 13-point lead. And I’m giving everybody a chance. Everybody got a chance today, with the exception of a couple of kids. So look in the mirror and tie your shoes up again. Go to Greenville. We get a double buy. And that’s a good thing. We came in third place in the league, right? And hope we can hang on and get a postseason, first and second round here. We will, I think we’re going to get that.”
LSU is still likely to be a No. 2 overall national seed and, yes, host rounds 1 and 2 of the NCAA Tournament at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Johnson should be back and at full strength by then.
At least Mulkey hopes so, and she also hopes LSU rediscovers its flow by then. They need it.
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