Recap: LSU's depth leads way in win over Tennessee Sunday

BATON ROUGE, La. – Kailyn Gilbert scored 21 second half points as No. 6 LSU (25-1, 10-1 SEC) took down No. 19 Tennessee (17-6, 4-6 SEC) Sunday in the PMAC, 82-77, as the Tigers beat the Lady Vols twice in a season for the first time in program history.

Flau’Jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow both found themselves in foul trouble and had to go to the bench early in the third quarter. Gilbert, who hit the game-winner earlier this year in Knoxville, scored 15 points in the third and 21 in the second half, finishing with 23 points. Johnson scored 12 points and Morrow recorded her 23rd double-double this season with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Mikaylah Williams also finished in double figures with 16 points and tied her career-high with 7 assists.

In addition to Gilbert, LSU got good production from its whole bench. Mjracle Sheppard had another strong performance with 8 points and 5 rebounds. The freshman Jada Richard saw the court for five minutes and she scored five points.

“That might have been where the game was won,” Coach Mulkey said referencing the bench play, “because when you take two of your three main players and they are sitting over there on the bench, you wonder how your bench and your players that you have on the floor are going to respond and I thought they handled themselves beautifully.”

Tennessee’s leading scorer was Jewel Spear, who had 19 points and three threes. Zee Spearman contributed 15 points and six rebounds, while Talaysia Cooper had 16 points for the Lady Vols.

The Tigers did a good job of limiting the Lady Vols’ transition three attempts. Tennessee was 6-18 from long range, well below its season averaged for makes and attempts. LSU also limited Tennessee to 8 offensive rebounds and just 11 second chance points.

LSU is off on Thursday and will return to the court next Sunday at Texas at 2 p.m. CT on ABC. The Longhorns knocked off South Carolina Sunday.

LSU took an early 5-0 advantage, but Tennessee responded and ultimately took a brief lead. Williams scored seven early points for the Tigers and Mjracle Sheppard knocked down her first three of the season on just her second attempt. The teams played the final half of the first quarter neck-and-neck, but LSU led 22-20 into the second quarter.

The Tigers went on a 6-0 run early in the second quarter to push the lead to as many as nine, but Tennessee responded with its own 6-0 run to bring it within three at the media timeout. Out of the media break, LSU went to its small lineup for the first time in the game with Williams at the power forward spot. Tennessee got within two, but Sheppard picked up a big block which led to a Jada Richard triple in translation for LSU to go up five, 39-34, and end the Tennessee push. Both teams struggled to score consistently over the final part of the quarter, but LSU took a 41-37 lead into halftime.

Tennessee scored the first seven points out of the half to take a three-point lead and LSU took a timeout. Prior to the timeout, Johnson picked up her third foul, forcing her to the bench. Morrow picked up her third not long after and LSU had two starters on the bench in foul trouble. With them on the bench, Gilbert stepped up to the tune of 15 points in the third quarter, allowing LSU to take a 62-57 lead into the fourth.

The Lady Vols started the fourth on a 7-0 run to regain the lead, but Gilbert hit her third triple to regain the lead. LSU went on 6-0 run to take a 71-66 lead as Tennessee called timeout after Morrow led the break and found Williams for a triple with 5:00 left in the game. Morrow kept the momentum, converting an and-one to put the Tigers up by eight. Tennessee stayed within striking distance though and got the game within five with 1:23 left on the clock. After forcing a LSU stop, the Lady Vols pulled within two with 23.9 seconds left. LSU took a timeout to advance the ball. The Tigers got Gilbert the ball on the inbounds play and Tennessee fouled her where she sank both free throws to put LSU up four with 21.8 seconds left.

*LSU press release