LSU WBB advances to Final Four with 54-42 win over Miami
Despite ESPN’s attempt to keep the game engaging, Kim Mulkey did not hold back during her on-court interview after the third quarter.
Neither LSU nor Miami was shooting over 30 percent from the field and neither offense had anything resembling a rhythm.
“Make free throws and layups,” Mulkey said when asked what it would take to win the game. “If I was watching this game I would turn it off – look at that score. That’s some bad offensive basketball. There might be something to those balls being too bouncy. Play hard for ten minutes and see what happens.”
Despite the struggles on both sides, LSU kept fighting. The defensive intensity only continued to ratchet up as the game wore on and, eventually, the Tigers physicality wore Miami down.
It wasn’t pretty, but LSU advances to the Final Four with a 54-42 win over Miami on Sunday night in Greenville, South Carolina. In just Kim Mulkey’s second season in Baton Rouge, she has led the women’s basketball program to its first Final Four since 2008.
Miami ended the game shooting 31.6 percent, while LSU was even worse at 30.2 percent. The two sides combined to go 1-of-27 from 3-point range and LSU shot just 15-of-26 from the free throw line. Miami had 18 turnovers to LSU’s 12, and the Hurricanes had two quarters where they scored in the single digits.
That should summarize the game for those who were unable to watch.
The difference for LSU was its resilience on the offensive glass. The Tigers had 16 offensive rebounds resulting in 15 second chance points, with many being easy put backs. Their 15 fast break points were also essential in a game where, quite literally, nothing came easy in the halfcourt.
The individual performances
Angel Reese went 0-for-8 in the first half from the field, but ended with 13 points and 18 rebounds. In the win, Reese set the SEC record for most double-doubles in a season.
Alexis Morris was by far LSU’s best offensive player, ending the night with 21 points on 8-of-22 shooting. Freshman forward S’Myah Smith was the Tigers’ most efficient player in the game, though, scoring six points on 3-of-5 shooting, Smith’s impact was even greater on defense with two blocks and a steal in 19 minutes.
Kateri Poole was the only player in this game to make a 3-point field goal, while Flau’Jae Johnson and Jasmine Carson continued to struggle with their perimeter shooting.
LSU now awaits the winner of 1-seed Virginia Tech and 3-seed Ohio State who play on Monday at 8 p.m.
After a season where the only losses came to South Carolina and to Tennessee in the conference tournament, there were questions from the selection committee and media around the country about what this LSU team was capable of. After a run through Michigan, Utah, and Miami, there are no more questions, only statements.
LSU women’s basketball is back.
