Tigers secure a double-bye for the SEC Tournament
Last Sunday, LSU (27-2, 12-2) was on the road looking to score a signature win against a top-five team, Texas, but ended up giving that game away.
What a difference a week can make.
This Sunday, LSU was in a similar situation on the road against a top-15 Kentucky team (21-5, 10-4), only this time around the Tigers got the job done. LSU overcame a 16-point deficit to knock off Kentucky 65-58 and secure a double-bye for next week’s SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina.
The 16-point comeback is the largest deficit LSU’s had all season, and it’s the second time LSU’s overcome a double-digit deficit in the second half. The win is also the 750th in Kim Mulkey’s illustrious coaching career.
The Tigers and Cats played a tight first quarter, but Kentucky jumped on LSU in the second and won the frame 24-14. Kentucky scored 12 straight points in the second quarter to grab a 28-14 lead and would lead by as many as 16 points with about 90 seconds remaining in the first half. Kentucky led 38-26 at the break.
LSU flipped the script on Kentucky in the second half though, specifically in the third quarter. LSU—specifically Flau’Jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams— came out hot the third quarter and the Tigers outscored Kentucky 23-6. Johnson and Williams combined for 17 points in the frame, while Kentucky as a team only made two baskets and one single free throw in the quarter.
Williams led all players with 24 points including a dagger three that gave LSU a four-point lead with 49 seconds to play. Williams may have led all players in scoring, but to me the game ball goes to Johnson who had 13 points, 10 coming in the second half, and led all players with 13 rebounds. Aneesah Morrow had tough sledding, 6-20 shooting, but still finished with a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Shayeann Day-Wilson had a pretty good day as well with eight points, three assists, and two rebounds; she also knocked down four clutch free throws in the fourth quarter to help LSU ice the game.
LSU did a good job frustrating Kentucky point guard Georgia Amoore. LSU played Amoore two years ago in the Final Four when she was at Virginia Tech, and today she led Kentucky in scoring with 16 points, but was 6-22 shooting and ended the day with a negative plus/minus of -7.
Amoore was held to just 2-9 shooting in the second half and missed all four of her three-point attempts. As a team, Kentucky was 1-14 from three in the second half.
With the win, LSU will finish no worse than third in the final SEC regular season standings. With the double-bye clinched, LSU has guaranteed that they won’t play until next Friday in the quarterfinal round of the SEC Tournament which begins next Wednesday; the win also likely locks up a two-seed for the Tigers in the NCAA Tournament meaning the Tigers will once again host game(s) inside the PMAC.
Up next LSU goes on the road to take on #18 Alabama at 8:00 P.M.