The LSU Tigers women’s basketball team played the Georgia Bulldogs in what turned into a Thursday night thriller. Kim Mulkey’s squad played their sloppiest game to date but emerged the victors.
LSU Tigers fans assuming the Georgia women’s basketball team would lay down in Baton Rouge were mistaken. The Bulldogs (15-9) were aggressive on both ends of the floor, frustrating Kim Mulkey’s unbeaten Tigers. LSU (22-0) entered the final quarter down multiple possessions but strung together some clutch offensive drives that forced overtime. Despite some sloppy defense, the Tigers took advantage of the extra period and came away with an 82-77 win. Mulkey’s squad moved to 22-0 on the season, the first in program history.
Angel Reese led the LSU Tigers with another double-double performance. The sophomore forward was 7-17 from the floor, scoring 23 points and 14 rebounds. Many of Reese’s rebounds were offensive boards that made up for LSU’s late struggles at the free-throw line. Alexis Morris was second in the Tigers box score with 15 points, including nine from beyond the arc. The senior guard didn’t have her best shooting percentage night but was clutch in overtime. Morris’s sideline 3-point shot with under a minute remaining gave LSU a 77-74 lead that erupted the home crowd.
BIG TIME IN OVERTIME 😤
— espnW (@espnW) February 3, 2023
Alexis Morris DRILLS the three to put LSU up in OT‼️ pic.twitter.com/vILpSkS5q2
The LSU Tigers made very uncharacteristic blunders during the game. Defensively, the Tigers consistently gave up bad fouls, including some from beyond the arc. In addition, the Bayou Bengals’ scoring attack was out of rhythm, mainly because of Georgia’s pressing defense. The Bulldogs constantly doubled Reese and were all over the low post. However, LSU did what great teams do by regaining their composure and winning a conference game despite a lackluster performance.
few can deny the difficulty and immense pressure that comes with an undefeated season
Tonight’s battle comes three days after Mulkey’s squad defeated Tennessee. One can argue fatigue played a role in LSU’s disjointed performance. Another argument is Georgia showed up to play with an outstanding game plan and gave the Tigers their best shot. Either way, few can deny the difficulty and immense pressure that comes with an undefeated season. Such pressure will continue to mount as LSU heads to College Station to clash with Texas A&M on Sunday. And the much-anticipated game against the top-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks follows.
Buckle up, LSU Tigers fans, the women’s basketball ride is about to get more intense.