BATON ROUGE — Angel Reese was barreled over by Rice’s Hailey Adams with lower than a minute remaining within the first half whereas going for an entrance go into the put up. Reese smacked the courtroom twice with each fingers as Mikaylah Williams trotted over to help her up from the ground.
The star junior’s face as soon as she arose embodied how the primary half shook out for LSU girls’s basketball in its 2024 NCAA Match opening recreation Friday afternoon. Nothing was simple and there was loads of frustration.
The No. 3 Tigers (29-5) regarded sloppy within the first half because the Owls (19-15), coming off profitable the American Athletic Convention event to earn an automated bid into March Insanity, gained extra confidence as LSU struggled.
Behind Aneesah Morrow and Reese, the Tigers finally discovered their footing however nonetheless needed to combat off a late surge from the Owls to win 70-60 contained in the Pete Maravich Meeting Middle.
LSU advances to play No. 11 Center Tennessee State within the Spherical of 32 on Sunday. The Blue Raiders (30-4) upset No. 6 Louisville 71-69 within the first-round recreation earlier Friday.
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LSU girls’s basketball struggles with turnovers
In a 6:41 stretch of the opening stanza, LSU turned the ball over greater than it had factors, piling up eight miscues.
The cough-ups prevented LSU from establishing any type of early rhythm on the offensive finish. And the turnovers allowed Rice to hold round for the primary 18 or so minutes of the sport.
LSU led 12-6 by the tip of the primary quarter, each season-low, first-quarter level totals for each groups.
Rice transformed LSU’s 24 turnovers, a season-high, to 16 factors through the recreation. LSU has seven factors off 16 Rice turnovers.
Within the third quarter, LSU solely turned the ball over 4 occasions and went a protracted stretch with out committing one. In that point, the Tigers have been in a position to construct their lead out to their largest of the sport, 53-42, as the sport moved to the ultimate interval.
Final-Tear Poa performs, provides Kim Mulkey huge minutes in tight recreation with Rice
In her first recreation again from struggling a concussion within the SEC Match semifinals towards Ole Miss, Final-Tear Poa performed huge minutes for Kim Mulkey and LSU.
With Hailey Van Lith in early foul within the first half, Mulkey known as upon Poa.
On her first possession within the recreation, Poa received a block, asserting her return to the courtroom for the Tigers as she’s identified for her defensive prowess.
Poa performed 19 minutes, scoring 9 factors with one help, however had two blocks and one steal on the defensive finish.
LSU’s protection leads cost into 2024 NCAA Match second spherical
Due to the turnovers and Rice slowing down the tempo of the sport for prolonged stretches, the Tigers’ offense battled inconsistency and some lulls.
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However whereas the offense contended with some execution points, LSU leaned closely on its protection. LSU restricted Rice to only 37% capturing (23 of 62) and whereas the Owls drew shut on the finish of the primary half and deep into the third quarter, LSU by no means relinquished its lead, which received down to 2 factors on quite a few events.
Rice’s finest participant Malia Fisher scored 13 however went 6-of-15 from the ground.
4 of LSU’s starters completed in double-digits. Reese collected her thirteenth straight double-double, with 10 factors and 19 rebounds.
Aneesah Morrow scored a game-high 15 factors together with 4 blocks whereas Flau’jae Johnson and Williams every recorded 14 factors.
Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Every day Advertiser as a part of the USA TODAY Community. Observe his Tigers protection on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Bought questions relating to LSU athletics? Ship them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.