LSU stayed unbeaten on Tuesday as it defeated Seton Hall 91-64 in the Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase in Uncasville, CN. The Tigers’ 13-0 record is tied for the fifth-best start in program history.
[autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] finished with a double-double as she posted 24 points and 19 rebounds. [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] also turned in an exceptional performance with 22 points and six three-pointers. [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Kailyn Gilbert[/autotag] rounded out the double-figure scorers with 17 and 14 points, respectively.
The Tigers and Pirates traded baskets throughout much of the first quarter. With a seven-point edge heading into the second, LSU broke the game open with an 11-0 run that lasted over six minutes. Williams totaled 14 points in the frame.
Seton Hall held a 24-19 scoring advantage in the third quarter but couldn’t put together a defensive effort to stop the consistent attack from LSU. Head coach Kim Mulkey cleared her bench in the fourth. The Tigers shot 53.7% from the field.
Here is everything Mulkey said in the postgame press conference.
Points in the Paint
Morrow’s double-double in Tuesday’s win was her fourth-straight game with at least 15 rebounds. Her performance brought her career rebound total to 1,412 and placed her in the top 25 for most rebounds in Division I history. Mulkey continues to be impressed by Morrow, along with Sa’Myah Smith and Jersey Wolfenbarger.
“We’re going to always get paint touches. I’m a coach that believes you have to get paint touches. You have to have these to win championships. We’ve got pretty outstanding guards. We’re going to let them shoot it out there and get us most touches occasionally.”
“She’s [Morrow] a walking double-double. When you go to a game, and you watch No. 24, I just want you to watch how hard she plays the game. I was you to watch how she can rebound with people who are much taller than her. I want you to watch how she never fatigues and gets tired.”
Mikaylah Williams
“I believe you probably make your biggest strides in your freshman or sophomore year. The challenge is, are you hungry? Are you content? She wants to really be good. She works at her game.”
“We’ve even thrown her in there to play some post with Morrow this year when we’ve gone small. She’s a confident player. If I had to say the biggest thing I want her to do is, I want her to stay healthy.”
Williams won SEC Freshman of the Year last season, but she’s dealt with inflammation in her foot, hindering her minutes thus far.
Clean Basketball
Following two games with over 20 turnovers, LSU held its giveaways to 13 against Seton Hall. The Pirates applied full-court pressure early and often throughout the contest, but the Tigers scored quickly and kept possession, which Mulkey appreciated.
“Our ability to score quickly against the press kept them from pressing as much.”
Homecomings
LSU’s last game against Louisiana took Williams to her hometown, where her high school plans to retire her number. When the Tigers travel to Chicago for a Thursday matchup with Illinois-Chicago, it will be a trip home for Morrow.
“It’s not easy to always take them back home, but we’ll try. It’s just something in your heart. I remember when I was a player. I always wanted to go back home and play in front of people that watched me grow up. It’s hard to do because you have to get an opponent to agree to it.”
“We brought all our cameras crew with us so that everybody can see where she [Morrow] grew up and what it was like for her growing up in Chicago. We did it for Angel [Reese] last year when we went to Coppin State. I hope we have a great crowd at that game, and I hope they are cheering for LSU.”