LSU women’s basketball overcame a slow start and a turnover-ridden game to stay unblemished in 2024.
Behind a career day from [autotag]Jersey Wolfenbarger,[/autotag] the Tigers defeated in-state foe Louisiana 85-57 in Baton Rouge, pushing their record to 13-0.
In her first start donning the purple and gold, Wolfenbarger totaled two career highs with 18 points and 15 rebounds. She led a group of five Tigers in double figures and was prepared to see the floor early after head coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] told her she’d be starting during practice on Saturday.
“My approach to every game is the exact same,” Wolfenbarger said. “I think today, just understanding my role, looks a little different starting, I had to start quick, I had to start strong. I had to do the little things.”
[autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] posted her tenth double-double for the season with 15 points and 15 rebounds, her third straight game with at least 15 boards. Kailyn Gilbert finished with 14 points, while Mikaylah Williams and Flau’Jae Johnson scored 12 and 11, respectively.
After leading by five at the end of the first quarter, LSU blew the game open in the second as it outscored the Ragin’ Cajuns 20-8. The Tigers shot 61.5% from the field in the frame but allowed Louisiana to come out of the break hot as it shot 60% from the field and 66.7% from three in the third quarter.
According to associate head coach Bob Starkey, who filled in for an ill Mulkey at the postgame presser, the LSU staff was “disappointed” in the team’s showing. LSU finished with 20 turnovers, nine coming in the first quarter, and played “atrocious” on offense.
“We have been imploring them to start games quicker, we tend to start slow,” Starkey said.
With SEC play looming and seven conference teams ranked, Starkey knows his team’s toughest games are yet to come. Before the first conference game on January 2 against Arkansas, Starkey hopes his team will find a way to play consistently strong basketball on both ends.
“It’s hard to be proud for 15-20 minutes of execution,” Starkey said. “The standard here is different, the goals here are different. We’re looking for 40 minutes of quality basketball, and we haven’t found that yet, and it’s a little concerning.”