Tag: 2024 Women’s NCAA Tournament

PHOTOS: LSU moves past Rice in NCAA Tournament opener

It was a little close for comfort but the Tigers advanced to the second round to face Middle Tennessee.

It was a bit too close for comfort at times, but the LSU women’s basketball team beat Rice 70-60 in its NCAA Tournament opener on Friday afternoon. With that win, the Tigers advance to face No. 11-seeded Middle Tennessee, which upset Louisville in its opener, on Sunday.

The Tigers led by just three at halftime, but they ultimately managed to pull away in the second half. [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] had a 10-point, 19-rebound double-double while [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] led the team in scoring with 15 points.

As the Tigers prepare for another matchup with a double-digit seed on Sunday, here are the photos from Friday’s win.

LSU women’s basketball survives against Rice in NCAA Tournament opener

The Tigers will move on to face Middle Tennessee in the second round.

It was much more anxiety-inducing than the 28.5-point spread would have indicated, but the LSU women’s basketball team survived and advanced as the No. 3 seed in its NCAA Tournament opener against Rice on Friday afternoon.

It wasn’t exactly smooth sailing for coach Kim Mulkey’s team, which led just 30-27 at the half. LSU pulled away to an 11-point lead at the end of the third, though, and while the Owls made a couple of runs in the fourth, they couldn’t close the gap.

[autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] finished with a double-double with 10 points and 19 rebounds, while [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] (15 points), [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] (14) and [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] (14) also scored in double figures.

After Louisville was upset by Middle Tennessee in its opener, the Tigers will now face the No. 11-seeded Blue Raiders in the second round on Sunday.

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ESPN lists LSU’s Angel Reese, Aneesah Morrow among top players in women’s NCAA Tournament

The Tigers boast two of the biggest stars in the entire tournament.

LSU stars [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] and [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] have racked up quite a few accolades since the conclusion of the regular season.

Reese is the SEC Player of the Year, and both have been featured on All-SEC and All-American lists. So, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that the pair are among the best players in the entire 2024 NCAA women’s tournament.

ESPN recently put out its rankings of the 25 best players in the field, and both Reese and Morrow made the cut. Reese cracked the top 10, coming in at No. 10 after becoming the first SEC player in more than 30 years to lead the league in scoring and rebounding in back-to-back seasons.

Reese ranks second in Division I in rebounding, one of LSU’s biggest strengths and a key to the Tigers defending their national championship. They are third in D-I — and first among Power 5 teams — on the boards (46.5 RPG). Only five players have repeated as the Final Four Most Outstanding Player; the last to do so was UConn’s Breanna Stewart, who won the honor all four of her seasons (2013-2016). Reese could repeat this year, but LSU first must get through what looks like the toughest region just to advance to the Final Four.

Morrow comes in just a few spots later at No. 15.

Morrow didn’t get a chance to play in the NCAA tournament last season; her team then, DePaul, didn’t make the field. She transferred to LSU and has formed a powerful duo with Reese. Morrow is second on the team in scoring and rebounding, and leads in steals and blocked shots. She might be the X factor for LSU in this NCAA tournament because she’s so capable of huge performances.

[autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag], the SEC Freshman of the Year, was also listed as an honorable mention for the Tigers.

Coach Kim Mulkey’s team is a No. 3 seed in the tournament and will begin its run on Friday afternoon against Rice at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

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Status of LSU’s Last-Tear Poa unclear heading into NCAA Tournament, per Kim Mulkey

Last-Tear Poa is making progress, but it’s not clear if she will play in the NCAA Tournament.

LSU’s SEC Tournament semifinal win over Ole Miss featured a scary moment.

Guard Last-Tear Poa hit her head on the court and was unable to leave on her own power. She was ultimately taken off the court in a stretcher and to a local hospital, where she was diagnosed with a concussion.

Poa was in attendance at LSU’s Selection Sunday watch party at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Sunday night, but at her Monday press conference, coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] was noncommittal regarding Poa’s status for the NCAA Tournament.

“Well, you saw her out there [at the watch party] tonight. She’s better every day,” Mulkey said, per On3. “I think she told me she got on the treadmill, maybe, today. Gonna try to do some individual workouts, so that’s a great sign.

“Her parents are still here. They will leave (Monday) night. This week we had three days off and been practicing since Thursday. Had today off, and then we will get in the film room tomorrow and go to work.”

Poa has been a key rotational player coming off the bench for the Tigers this year, appearing in 32 games with 10 starts. She made the start in the Ole Miss game for an injured [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag], and on the year, she’s averaging five points, 3.1 assists and 1.5 rebounds.

LSU hosts Rice in its NCAA Tournament opener on Friday at 3 p.m. CT.

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Date, time set for LSU women’s basketball’s NCAA Tournament opener against Rice

The Tigers will host the Owls to begin the NCAA Tournament on Friday at 3 p.m. CT.

The 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament bracket is now set, and LSU knows its path back to the Final Four as it seeks to defend its national title.

While some expected the Tigers to earn a No. 2 seed, a lack of impressive wins ultimately dropped them down to the No. 3 seed line, where they will open their run at home in Baton Rouge against Rice, which is seeded at No. 14.

Now, we know the day and time for that game.

It will be on Friday at 3 p.m. CT and will air on ESPN. If the Tigers win that game, their Round 2 matchup against either Louisville or Middle Tennessee will be on Sunday at a time TBD.

Rice is just 19-14 on the year and earned a 10 seed in the American Athletic Conference Tournament before going on an impressive run that culminated in a 20-point win over East Carolina to claim the league’s auto bid.

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What the betting odds say about LSU women’s basketball national title hopes

Here’s what the betting odds have to say about LSU’s national title hopes.

LSU women’s basketball is just a few days away from tipping off its NCAA Tournament run. The Lady Tigers have a tough road ahead, attempting to follow up the national title from last year in a region packed with top teams.

LSU is a No. 3 seed, but if the betting odds are any indication, LSU could be better than the seeding suggests.

According to FanDuel, LSU, at +750, holds the third-best odds in the country to win the national title. South Carolina sits as the odds-on favorite in the poll position at -145 while Iowa is just ahead of LSU at +700.

At DraftKings, the numbers are a little different, but LSU remains third at +900.

South Carolina is the heavy favorite across the board, but LSU isn’t a long shot. Those odds suggest sportsbooks and bettors still like LSU’s potential.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3012″ ]

With Iowa and UCLA joining LSU in its region, the slate won’t be easy. LSU will have to fight off a couple of national title contenders before it even gets to the Final Four, but this team is battle-tested after going all the way last year.

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BREAKING: LSU women’s basketball earns a No. 3 seed in NCAA Tournament, will host Rice in Round 1

The Tigers are on the three-seed line as they look to defend their national title.

The defending national champion LSU women’s basketball team has learned its draw for the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers will be the No. 3 seed in Albany Region 2, playing their first and (potentially) second games at home at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge. They will open their run against the No. 14 Rice Owls. With a win, they would draw either No. 6 Louisville or No. 11 Middle Tennessee State.

That could pit [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] against the Cardinals, her former team, and it could set up an Elite Eight rematch of last year’s national title game against Caitlin Clark and Iowa.

Here’s a look at the full region of the bracket.

LSU’s game against Rice will be either on Friday or Saturday; specific days and times haven’t yet been announced.

UPDATE: LSU and Rice will play on Friday, though the time hasn’t been announced.

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LSU women’s basketball projected as No. 2 seed in ESPN bracketology update

Riding an eight game winning streak, LSU women’s basketball is improving its NCAA Tournament position.

[autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] and the LSU women’s basketball team have battled some adversity this season.

Of course, adversity is relative in this sense. For most programs, a 26-4 record is more than enough. But after a 25-0 start followed by a national title last year, the standard is different at LSU.

At points this year, Mulkey discussed those expectations, telling fans and the media not to panic. And now, as LSU prepares for the conference tournament, the Tigers are right where they want to be, projected as a No. 2 seed in ESPN’s latest Bracketology update. 

For the last two months or so, LSU had been sitting on the three or four-seed line. The Tigers’ record has remained one of the best in the country all year, but LSU didn’t have the strength of schedule it needed for a top-two seed.

Down the stretch, LSU’s continued to handle its business and win games while some other teams have slipped. LSU won eight straight to close out the regular season, improving its seeding position.

With a strong performance in the SEC tournament, LSU should hold there. It’s a much better spot than where LSU was at times this year. If the Tigers were a  No. 4 seed, they could have faced a No. 5 seed in the second round. Now, Mulkey’s group could get the benefit of a No. 7 or 10 seed in round two.

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LSU women’s basketball projected as a No. 3 seed in NCAA Tournament

The Tigers have moved up a seed line since the initial reveal last month.

The LSU women’s basketball team began the season with high expectations, sitting as the consensus No. 1 squad after winning the national title last season.

But after an up-and-down start to the season, the Tigers were only projected as a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament in the initial seeding reveal last month.

After a seven-game winning streak, things have changed, however. The committee updated its seeding on Thursday night with LSU now being bumped to the three-seed line. That reveal came before the Tigers’ 80-54 road win over Georgia, which clinched the No. 2 seed and a double bye in the SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina, next week.

LSU will wrap up its regular season on Sunday with a game against Kentucky on Senior Day at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

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LSU Women’s Basketball Bracketology: Can Tigers earn a top two seed?

Here’s what LSU needs to do to secure a top two seed.

March is around the corner and the college basketball regular season is winding down.

The LSU women have just five games left before the conference tournament. That means much of its resume is already decided. At 21-4, LSU remains in a good spot.

Current bracket projections have LSU seeded as a No. 3 or No. 4 seed. But that could change if LSU dominates down the stretch.

At this point, a No. 1 is likely out of reach, but a top-two seed is still in play if LSU catches some breaks. Here’s what LSU needs to do and how its resume stacks up against similar teams.