The LSU Lady Tigers entered Thursday Night's Matchup with Tennessee with a 17-0 record and the 6th ranking but, the 16th ranked Volunteers were the clear toughest test of the season thus far. In the first quarter it looked like LSU may run away with the game as they jumped out to a 26-17 lead as Tennessee looked out of rhythm from three.
The Lady Volunteers would win the next three quarters outscoring LSU 22-20, 23-21, and 25-22. The good news for LSU is that the early lead the Tigers built up was the difference as well as one spectacular play.
With the game tied, LSU had the final possession where Kailyn Gilbert beat her defender, drove and tossed up an immaculate floater scoring with 0.7 seconds left to give LSU the victory.
KAILYN GILBERT GAME-WINNER IN KNOXVILLE‼️@LSUwbkb REMAINS UNDEFEATED 😤 pic.twitter.com/yYnbYvSByp
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) January 10, 2025
After the game, Kim Mulkey spoke on Gilbert's shot and her mentality heading into the play.
"She's made several shots like that this year and she's the one we wanted to take the shot."Kim Mulkey
Gilbert came off of the bench for Kim Mulkey and finished 2nd on the team in scoring as she scored 22 points on 9 of 17 shooting with 5 rebounds. Aneesah Morrow led LSU with 23 points and an incredible 21 rebounds dominating the glass in this game. Flau'Jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams both had solid nights combining for 36 points and 11 rebounds.
The Lady Tigers are severely under ranked at 6th
For most teams, being ranked as the 6th best team in the Country would be a massive accomplishment and a building block, for this team it feels like a massive understatement. LSU continues to win every single game and in new ways each perfromance. On any given night, LSU's 4th highest scorer can outscore the opponents best player as LSU is loaded with top end talent. Time will tell if the Tigers are able to grab the Top ranking in the AP Poll but, this team looks the part every game.