WATCH: Sa'Myah Smith draws ring on Angel Reese's finger ahead of Final Four berth
LSU women’s basketball punched its ticket to the Final Four on Sunday with a 54-42 victory against Miami, and it appears the Tigers already thinking much bigger. Forwards Angel Reese and Sa’Myah Smith shared a moment in the waning seconds of their Elite Eight win that shows they determined to take the crown.
After Reese fouled out with 58 seconds remaining, she walked over to the bench to meet Smith, who used a sharpie to draw a ring on her teammate’s finger. That seems to imply LSU has its sights set on a championship as it heads to Dallas for the Final Four.
The Final Four appearance is the first for the Tigers since 2008 as well as the first under coach Kim Mulkey, who is in just her second season at the helm. Mulkey brings plenty of experience, however, having previously led Baylor to four Final Fours and three national championships.
That track record should certainly make LSU feel good about its chances. The Tigers have lost just two games all season behind Reese, who led the SEC 23.5 points and 15.6 rebounds per game.
Reese turned in another big performance in Sunday’s win against the Hurricanes to finish with 13 points, 18 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. The double-double was her 32nd in 34 games this season, setting the SEC single-season record. Smith added six points, five rebounds and a pair of blocks off the bench.
The Tigers slowly built their lead with each quarter and led 38-27 heading into the fourth quarter. Neither team shot the ball well as both were under 32% for the game. They also combined to make just one 3-pointer in 27 tries.
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The Tigers played lock down defense to hold Miami to its second-lowest point total this season and force 18 turnovers. Jasmyne Roberts scored more than half of the Hurricanes’ team total with 22 points as no other Miami player had more than four.
With the win, LSU became the first team in the women’s bracket to advance to the Final Four. It has now won three of its four tournament games by double digits and will hope to keep things rolling in Dallas.
The Tigers await the winner between Virginia Tech and Ohio State in their Final Four matchup on Friday. The Buckeyes and Hokies will face off at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday in the Elite Eight.
But based on the celebration from Angel Reese and Sa’Myah Smith, LSU will be confident no matter who it faces.