UCLA's hot shooting sinks LSU in Elite Eight, 72-65

SPOKANE, Wash. – LSU, playing in its third straight Elite Eight, fell on Sunday to UCLA, 72-65 as the Tigers’ second half comeback attempt came up short.

LSU trailed by as many as 14 points in the third quarter, battling to get it back within three points in the fourth quarter. Flau’Jae Johnson fueled the comeback attempt with 24 second half points, finishing with a game-high 28 points. Aneesah Morrow finished with 15 points and 7 rebounds while Mikaylah Williams had 10 points and 7 rebounds.

“Just a mindset of perseverance,” Johnson said. “I didn’t have a good second quarter. I feel like I made the team go into a drought. So I just tried to come back in the second half, not forcing it, just play within the system and try to make some stuff happen.”

The Bruins were led by Lauren Betts, who finished with 17 points and 7 rebounds. LSU held Betts below her tournament averages this season, but the Bruins received help from Gabriela Jaquez with 18 points and Timea Gardiner with 15 points. Jaquez and Gardiner combined to sink 9 threes.

The second quarter was critical as LSU forced two fouls against Betts in the first quarter and she sat on the bench for 10 minutes. In that time, UCLA outscored LSU by 10.

“Betts did not beat us,” Coach Kim Mulkey said. “We guarded her as tough as we could guard her. We did not take advantage of Betts being off the floor in the second quarter and we allowed perimeter threes and other people to step up. But I will say, as I said before, they’re not all about Betts. Betts is just a safety valve down there. When they get in trouble, she can score it at will.”

For the third year in a row, LSU eclipsed the 30-win mark. Coach Kim Mulkey became the second coach to lead a program to three Elite Eights in her first four seasons at a school.

Aneesah Morrow wrapped up one of the greatest women’s college basketball careers ever. She finished with 1,714 rebounds, the third most in NCAA DI history. The Chicago native is one of two players in NCAA DI history with over 100 double-doubles, wrapping up her career with 104. She is also just one of eight players in NCAA DI history with 2,500 points and 1,500 rebounds in her career.

Morrow’s (485) rebounds this season rank forth for LSU single-season rebounds. She finished the year with 30 double-doubles.

“Nobody in the country did what I did every night,” Morrow said. “Nobody in the country has done what I did over the four years, and I’m honestly just proud of myself for overcoming as much as I’ve overcome and being able to do it at the biggest level.”

“You wish you had Aneesah every time you walked on a court every day because you knew what you were getting from her and her effort,” Mulkey said. “It didn’t matter how banged up she was, how hurt she felt. Nees only knows how to play, and that’s hard.”

UCLA jumped out to an early 7-2 lead as LSU shot 1-12 to start the game. UCLA did not start much better at 3-9 and the Bruins led 7-4 at the media timeout after Johnson scored her first points of the game. Morrow tied the game at 9, a three and her first points of the game. She gave LSU its first lead the next possession with a baseline jumper. Aalyah Del Rosario drew an offensive foul against Betts in the final minute of the first, her second personal. LSU only shot 30-percent in the first quarter, but held UCLA to 27-percent and took a 13-9 lead into the second quarter.

UCLA reclaimed the lead a couple minutes into the second quarter, but Morrow gained it right back with a second-chance bucket. It was brief though as UCLA came back to take a six-point lead. LSU went scoreless for over four minutes, but Kailyn Gilbert drew a foul and knocked down one of two free throws to bring LSU back within five with 3:35 left in the half. Last-Tear Poa nailed a three to make it 21-25 at the three minute mark. Then Morrow found Jersey Wolfenbarger to bring it within two, but UCLA responded five straight. UCLA took a 31-25 lead into the half.

UCLA took a 36-25 lead early in the third, forcing a LSU timeout. The UCLA lead grew to 14 points and Coach Mulkey took another timeout. Johnson helped LSU remain in the game, scoring LSU’s next eight to remain in striking distance, bringing it within seven with 2:51 left in the quarter. UCLA carried a 46-41 lead into the fourth.

UCLA brought its lead back to 11 in the first four minutes of the fourth,but Mikaylah sank her fourth buck with 6:34 left to bring it back to single digits and LSU took a timeout. With five minutes left, LSU trailed by seven when Johnson got a steal and drew a foul on the fastbreak, sinking both free throws. Johnson scored again to bring it within three with just over three minutes left. UCLA scored the next three, going 3-4 from the line, leading by six with two minutes left. They went up by nine with 1:26 left with a made three. LSU scored on the next trip down the floor, calling a timeout down seven. It was too much for LSU to overcome.

*LSU press release