Kim Mulkey analyzes LSU's strong start against Vanderbilt

The LSU women’s basketball team suffered back-to-back losses against No. 1 South Carolina and against Mississippi State, but the Tigers have bounced back nicely with a pair of big wins.

First the team dusted Florida 106-66 at the Maravich Center in Baton Rouge, then it took down Vanderbilt 85-62 on the road at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville.

The game in Nashville was never particularly close, with LSU getting out to a big early lead and then maintaining it throughout. Powered by forward Angel Reese, LSU got out to a 16-2 lead in the contest. Reese had six points and five rebounds in the first three minutes of action.

If there was a negative, it was that Reese picked up her second foul with 3:40 remaining in the first quarter, hitting the bench for a bit.

“I was really pleased,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said. “I hate Angel picked up her second, because I thought Angel was a force to be reckoned with in there early, which allowed everybody else to eat. Good game.”

It was a well-rounded effort for the Tigers, with all five starters finishing the game in double-figure scoring. LSU also had two players record double-doubles, the 11th time this season multiple players have done so.

Reese finished with 15 points and 16 rebounds, while Aneesah Morrow finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

LSU controlled the game from the opening tip, helping re-establish some consistency as the team treks through the heart of conference play. The back-to-back losses feel a bit further in the rear-view mirror now.

“I saw the same thing tonight that I saw in the Florida game,” Mulkey said. “I saw us execute a couple plays that we haven’t executed all year. I saw we started the game on the road just like I tell them, act like you’re 10 behind when you tip the ball, because that’s what you have to do on the road. You have to set the tone on the road.”

The other double-figure scorers in the contest for LSU were Flau’jae Johnson (17), Hailey Van Lith (13) and Mikaylah Williams (10). The Tigers got 17 points off the bench.

With six conference games remaining, LSU sits three games off the lead in the SEC standings. South Carolina is a perfect 10-0, while LSU, Mississippi State and Tennessee all sport identical 7-3 conference marks.

LSU will be back in action on Sunday against Alabama at home, a game that tips off at 4 p.m. ET with a broadcast on ESPN2.