Angel Reese reacts to LSU's thrilling upset victory over Kentucky
For the second time in as many games, LSU got a ranked victory. The Tigers pulled off a thrilling upset of Kentucky Wednesday night as Tyrell Ward drained the game-winner as time expired to stun the Wildcats 75-74 in Baton Rouge.
Angel Reese was in attendance, and she took to social media right away to share her reaction.
Reese was in the stands and also took part in the court-storming afterward as LSU got its second consecutive victory over a ranked opponent. Afterward, she – much like Tigers fans everywhere – showcased her excitement.
Rob Dillingham put Kentucky back out in front with 15 seconds left, and Matt McMahon opted not to call a timeout as LSU went back down the court. Jordan Wright got his shot blocked, but as the ball bounced around, it ended up in Ward’s hands. He put it back up and it went down as the buzzer sounded – and the fans stormed the court, and Angel Reese wound up getting knocked down by a fan in the process.
With the victory, LSU moved to 14-12 overall and 6-7 in SEC play. Kentucky, meanwhile, dropped to 18-8 overall and 8-5 in league action with the loss.
Matt McMahon on initial reaction to Adou Thiero block: ‘Wish I would’ve called timeout’
When Wright’s shot got blocked by Adou Thiero, though, McMahon reacted like many LSU fans probably did because he didn’t use the final timeout. However, his reason for the decision was he didn’t want Kentucky to have a chance to draw up a defense.
“Wish I would’ve called timeout,” McMahon said with a laugh, when asked by Dave Pasch about his reaction to the block. “But I didn’t want them to get their defense set. I like them playing in transition, just a scramble situation. Trust Jordan Wright with the ball there.
“We’ve been searching for some toughness. And Tyrell Ward comes flying out of nowhere to put that ball in and win the game, just awesome, man. Awesome.”
Wright’s awareness to keep the play going was also huge, though. He was able to bounce back from the blocked shot and help get the ball to Ward, who sank the game-winner as time expired. McMahon said while it wasn’t the prettiest play in the world, it still was part of his mantra to his players about winning each possession.
“We’ve been talking for a long time, just the value of every possession,” McMahon said. “Play your tail off every possession. Compete, just figure it out, find a way. Probably won’t be on a clinic tape anywhere, but boy, that final scoreboard sure looks beautiful up there.”