The LSU women’s basketball team has struggled to close out games, which has led to several of its four losses so far this season.
But it’s harder to struggle down the stretch if you spot yourself a big early lead, and that’s exactly what the Tigers have managed to do in both of the last two games. A 40-point win over Florida on Sunday was never in doubt, and LSU had similar success in an 85-62 win over Vanderbilt on Thursday night.
Though the Tigers had some offensive issues early, they still jumped out to a 22-7 lead in the first quarter and led 39-20 at the half. [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] was pleased to see another fast start from her team.
“I saw the same thing tonight that I saw in the Florida game,” she said, per On3. “We executed some plays we haven’t executed all year. I always tell them to start the game like you’re ten behind when you tip the ball on the road. That’s what you have to do on the road. You have to set the tone. I was really pleased. I was upset Angel picked up her second foul because I thought Angel was a force to be reckoned with in there early, which allowed everybody else to eat.”
[autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] has found herself in foul trouble before, and it’s proved to be a limiting factor for this LSU team. On Thursday, however, it wasn’t.
“I love the way we started. I love the way we handled Angel being in foul trouble in the second quarter,” Mulkey said. “We didn’t lose the lead and even extended the lead. In the second half I was pleased we took a deep breath and responded when they made their push and Angel got to rest then and Aalyah got big minutes. I always love that we have five players averaging in double figures.”
LSU now sits at 20-4 on the season and 7-3 in SEC play. While it’s likely no longer in contention for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, it can still close out the regular season strong and enter the postseason with some momentum as it looks to defend its national title.
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