LSU advances to SEC title game with 75-67 win over Ole Miss
GREENVILLE, S.C. — LSU is headed to the SEC Tournament Championship game for the first time since 2012 after a 75-67 win over Ole Miss on Saturday night inside the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
The Tigers have won the SEC Tournament championship twice, most recently in 2003. The Tigers will meet the top-seed, undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks. Their semifinal game went down to the wire against Tennessee. Trailing by two, Kamilla Cardoso made the first three of her career at the buzzer for the Gamecocks to remain unbeaten, looking to defend last year’ SEC Tournament Championship. The game will tip at 2 p.m. CT on ESPN.
The double-double duo of Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow were back at it again both earning a double-double in the same game for the 12th time this season. Reese came back from a minor injury in the Auburn game to score 21 points and bring in 17 rebounds. Reese left the Auburn game in the fourth quarter after rolling her ankle. Morrow finished with 12 points and hauled in 12 rebounds.
Flau’jae Johnson also led the Tigers with 21 points on 8-14 from the field and a pair of threes. Johnson has helped lead the Tigers in scoring for both games in the SEC tournament. Johnson scored a season-high 25 against Auburn on Friday.
LSU was without Mikaylah Williams for the third straight game due to injury. Last-Tear Poa went down with an injury in the second half and required a stretcher to get off the court. She was transported to St. Francis Downtown Hospital in Greenville for further evaluation.
Madison Scott and Marquesha Davis led the Rebels with 22 and 21 points, respectively. The duo combined for 43 of Ole Miss’ 67 points. The other Rebel to break double figures was Kennedy Todd-Williams with 16 points.
LSU will have the next week off waiting for Selection Sunday on March 17 where the Tigers expect to hear their name called as a top-16 seed to host first- and second-round games in the NCAA Tournament. The selection show will air next Sunday at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN and LSU will host its annual watch party in the PMAC.
LSU outscored Ole Miss 8-2 to start the contest before the Rebels went on a 5-0 run to get within 1. Morrow and Johnson scored on back-to-back possessions to give the Tigers a 12-9 lead at the first media timeout. Following the break, Johnson got things going with her first triple of the night and sparked a 7-0 LSU run. The Tigers took a 19-12 advantage into the second quarter, holding Ole Miss to 17.6-percent shooting in the first.
The Tigers traded buckets early as it held on to its lead while Ole Miss continued to find ways to score. LSU went 4 of its last 5 from the field ahead of the media timeout while Ole Miss trailed 29-21 with under five minutes to go. After the timeout, Reese finished a put-back layup to move LSU into a double digit lead for the first time. At the end of the quarter, LSU took a 36-28 lead into the locker room.
Johnson and Morrow both scored 10 points in the first half to lead the Tigers. Reese finished the half with 8 points and 12 rebounds. Scott led all scorers with 13 points on 5-10 from the field. LSU shot 40.5-percent from the field in the opening half, but was 0-2 on free throws and 2-9 from three-point range.
Ole Miss scored the first 4 points of the third quarter before Reese connected on a jumper to secure her double-double with 10 and 12. The Rebels went on to make it a one score game as they extended their run to 7-2 in the first two minutes. Todd-Williams moved the Rebels margin to 2 with a turnaround jumper, Ole Miss’ closest lead since the opening quarter. The LSU defense held Ole Miss scoreless for over two minutes to hold a 43-37 lead at the media timeout. A minute after the timeout, Poa scored her first field goal of the night with her first three-pointer to give LSU a 7-point lead. Both teams traded buckets down the stretch, but LSU was able to hold its lead before the final quarter, 53-51.
The Tigers went on a 9-2 run to build its lead back up to 9 as Reese led the way with 7 of the 9 points. The streak was snapped with a Todd-Williams triple to make it a 6-point game. With 5:44 to play a personal foul was called against Poa as she attempted to take a charge and was thrown down to the baseline. Poa attempted to make it off the court but was attended to by medical staff shortly after. Johnson saved a Rebel fast break lay-up as she flew down the court to send Zakiya Stephenson’s attempt into the first row. Johnson followed the defensive effort with a top of the key three-pointer to go up by 8. Johnson scored another jumper minutes later and Van Lith went 6-6 from the foul line in the clutch to lock up the LSU victory, 75-67.
