Lsu Women’s Basketball Roster: LSU Women’s Basketball Secures Commanding 75-60 Victory Against Tennessee.

Lsu Women’s Basketball Roster- In their previous encounter, Kim Mulkey and her Tigers suffered a narrow defeat against Tennessee in the Sotheastern Conference Tournament. However, this time, LSU traveled to Knoxville and emerged victorious with a commanding 75-60 win.

The Tigers had to make adjustments to overcome Tennessee’s strategies for success, which involved limiting LSU’s presence in the paint and minimizing their opportunities at the foul line. During the first half, the Volunteers effectively executed this game plan.

As the second half progressed, Tennessee managed to come within striking distance on multiple occasions, forcing LSU to gradually extend their lead in order to maintain their advantage and secure the victory.

Overall, LSU’s shooting performance as a team was 29-for-88 (33%), with a 40% success rate from beyond the arc, going 6-for-15 from three-point range.

Hailey Van Lith maintained LSU’s lead during the latter part of the game.

Van Lith, the transfer guard from Louisville, Kentucky, had an impressive performance, leading the team with 26 points. This marks her highest scoring output since joining LSU. She showcased her shooting skills by making 9 out of 18 field goals and 4 out of 5 three-pointers. Additionally, she contributed seven rebounds and three assists to the team’s success.

However, it was in the second half that Van Lith’s scoring prowess became crucial, especially as Tennessee started gaining momentum. Out of her 26 points, she scored an impressive 16 points in the second half alone. Furthermore, two of her four successful three-pointers were made during this crucial period of the game.

Mulkey stated that Hailey has faced a significant amount of criticism, and it is imperative that it comes to an end. Hailey is currently adapting to a new position and has shown great progress. Mulkey also commended her for making crucial shots when the team required them.

Van Lith displayed an impressive ability to maintain a perfect balance between playing as a point guard, which is a new role for her compared to her time at Louisville, and showcasing her own unique style of play. Alongside distributing the ball effectively, Van Lith also took charge in delivering efficient scoring whenever the team was in need.

LSU’s late-game rally.

LSU received a boost from Van Lith in the fourth quarter, turning the tables after a tough third quarter. The Tigers dominated Tennessee with a 27-15 scoring advantage, showcasing a 45.5% shooting accuracy from the field and 50% from beyond the arc.

Mikaylah Williams also played a crucial role in the final quarter, contributing 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists. She made 7 of 18 field goal attempts and 1 of 5 three-point shots, with six of her points coming in the fourth quarter.

Despite not scoring from the three-point line, Flau’jae Johnson made her presence felt with nine points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Five of her nine points were scored in the fourth quarter.

Angel Reese was restricted until she was free.

Tennessee made it a priority to limit Angel Reese’s impact both inside the paint and at the foul line. In the first half, they successfully achieved this goal.

However, Reese managed to find an opportunity in the second half and capitalized on it. She ended the game with an impressive double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. Her shooting performance was not the best, going 4-for-19 from the field and 3-for-6 from the foul line. Out of her 11 points, eight of them came in the second half.

It took Reese until just over seven minutes remaining in the second quarter to score her first basket, a jumper from just outside the key. She then made her first appearance at the foul line with under two minutes left in the second quarter, where she made one of two free throws.

A significant part of Tennessee’s success in containing Reese’s scoring can be attributed to their center, Tamari Key, and her defensive efforts in the paint. Key finished the game with 10 points and five rebounds.

“Tamari Key’s height played a crucial role. We knew she would be guarding Angel,” Mulkey commented. “Her presence altered shots.”

While Tennessee managed to limit Reese’s scoring, her rebounding prowess remained strong. She grabbed 16 out of LSU’s 57 rebounds as a team.

Aneesah Morrow stepped up as much as she could, considering Tennessee’s efforts to control LSU’s scoring inside the paint. She finished the game with eight points and 13 rebounds.

Tennessee’s impressive third-quarter performance.

The Volunteers’ offense came alive in the third quarter, narrowing LSU’s lead to just two points. Tennessee outscored the Tigers 19-10 during this period, while LSU struggled with a 4-for-18 shooting performance as a team.

Mulkey acknowledged the impact of Tennessee’s play, stating, “We lost our composure a bit in the third, but Tennessee’s performance pushed us to play harder when we were down.”

Despite the surge in the third quarter, Tennessee ended the game shooting 31% from the field and only 16% from beyond the arc, making just three of their 18 attempted 3-pointers.

Furthermore, the Volunteers faced challenges with 10 turnovers compared to LSU’s seven. LSU capitalized on fastbreak opportunities, outscoring Tennessee 21-8 in that category and 12-3 in points off turnovers.

These obstacles hindered Tennessee’s efforts to maintain momentum from the third quarter.

Rickea Jackson, a top prospect in the upcoming WNBA Draft, led the team with 16 points and nine rebounds, including six points in the third quarter.

Tess Darby contributed nine points, shooting 3-for-6 from the field and 2-for-5 from three-point range.

Jasmine Powell added eight points, six rebounds, and seven assists, while Sara Puckett chipped in with seven points and eight rebounds.

Who will be next?

The Tigers are scheduled to hit the road and journey to Athens for a face-off against the Georgia Bulldogs on Thursday. The highly anticipated game is set to commence at 8 p.m. C.T. at Stegman Coliseum, and fans can catch all the action live on ESPN2.