LSU WBB defeats Michigan 66-42, advancing to Sweet 16
With a lip that had been bloody since the first minute of the game, Angel Reese switched onto Michigan’s lead guard, Laila Phelia, with under 10 on the shot clock late in the third quarter.
Reese shuffled her feet to stay in front, forcing a drive away from the basket, then as Phelia went up to release the ball, Reese was there to send it out of bounds for a shot clock violation. She turned to the crowd, exhausted, yelling words that you couldn’t even lip read because of all the huge mouthpiece and gauze in her mouth.
She pounded her chest a few more times for good measure in front of a sea of purple and gold and then made her way to the other end.
The junior forward from Baltimore capped one of the more impressive performances in recent LSU women’s basketball history with 25 points, 24 rebounds, six blocks, four assists, and three steals, fueling the Tigers 66-42 win over Michigan on Sunday night in the PMAC and sending them to the Sweet 16.
Led by Reese, LSU controlled the glass and the paint on both ends. The Tigers outrebounded the Wolverines 46-26 with 22 offensive boards, outscored Michigan in the paint 32-20, and had six blocks in the win.
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Senior forward LaDahzia Williams was once again the perfect complement to Reese on the inside, ending the game with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The athleticism and size combination of Reese and Williams continued to overwhelm the Wolverines on the inside.
After a tight first few minutes, it was senior wing Jasmine Carson off the bench who opened up the game for LSU with three 3-pointers in the first quarter, stretching out the Wolverines defense and giving life to a nervous home crowd. As a team, LSU ended the game 6-of-19 from 3-point range, a needed improvement from the 1-for-14 shooting performance against Hawaii in round one.
Alexis Morris ended the game with 11 points on 5-of-14 shooting, once again picking her spots.
The defense once again was exceptional, refusing to allow Michigan back in the game, even through cold shooting stretches. LSU only committed nine fouls, only allowed five offensive rebounds, and only allowed the Wolverines to shoot 35 percent from the field.
Next up for LSU is 2-seed Utah, who escaped a close win over 10-seed Princeton. The Tigers will head to Greenville for the regional rounds.
