Tag: Aneesah Morrow

Livvy Dunne to appear on SportsCenter live from LSU campus

Olivia Dunne, Flau’Jae Johnson, and Aneesah Morrow will appear on SportsCenter when the show hits LSU’s campus on Thursday

SportsCenter Live is coming to LSU on Thursday.

Gymnast [autotag]Olivia Dunne[/autotag] is one of three student-athletes scheduled to appear on the ESPN production from 1-2 PM CT. The show will take place on the PMAC Plaza. Her interview will be pre-recorded.

[autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] will make a live appearance together on the show ahead of the women’s basketball game that night. The No. 7 Tigers will host No. 13 Oklahoma inside the PMAC at 7 PM CT.

The visit from SportsCenter comes on a busy weekend for LSU Athletics. In addition to its game against the Sooners, women’s basketball hosts Mississippi State on Sunday. Men’s basketball faces No. 1 Auburn on Wednesday and Texas on Saturday while No. 3 gymnastics hosts No. 9 Missouri on Friday.

Dunne, in her fifth and final season, was a part of LSU’s national championship team last season. She has competed in every meet so far this year, logging appearances on bars, beam, and floor.

For head coach Kim Mulkey’s team, Johnson leads in scoring with 19.7 points per game. Morrow leads the nation with 14 rebounds per game and 19 double-doubles.

Three things Kim Mulkey said after LSU women’s basketball beats Texas A&M

Here’s what Kim Mulkey said after LSU’s win on Sunday

No. 2 LSU got back to its winning ways on Sunday.

The Tigers defeated Texas A&M 64-51 inside the PMAC. Donning its yellow uniforms with purple trim, LSU picked up its sixth SEC win of the season.

[autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] led the way with 22 points and five rebounds. [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] surpassed 1,000 points in her LSU career, finishing with 19 points and nine rebounds. Her 1,538 rebounds rank No. 10 in NCAA Division I history as she surpassed Cheryl Miller in Sunday’s contest.

Neither team scored more than 20 points in any quarter. The Tigers grabbed the lead in the second quarter and never gave it up. Texas A&M cut its deficit to two twice in the second half but timely buckets from LSU helped it seal the victory.

Here’s what LSU head coach Kim Mulkey had to say following Sunday’s win.

Rebounding record

LSU set a program record in an SEC game with 30 offensive rebounds. Mulkey commented on her team’s tenacity in the statistics despite the lack of height on the roster.

“That team is one of the smaller teams I’ve had since I’ve been at LSU,” Mulkey said. “30 offensive boards and holding your opponents to under 39.9 [shooting from the field] will always give you a chance when you just can’t find a bucket.”

Defense and rebounding

The two things that Mulkey always says keeps a team in a game are defense and rebounding. She consistently preaches this mantra and she did so again after a win in which her team shot under 32% from the field.

“We haven’t shot the ball very well so they’ve kind of held us too.”

“There’s going to be games like this. This isn’t going to be the only one. I’m glad we were home.”

“When your shots aren’t falling, what keeps you in the game and gives you chance to win is rebounding and defense.”

Early substitutions

Mulkey typically doesn’t rely on her bench for major minutes. The Tigers were whistled for 13 fouls in the first half which, along with lack of offensive production, led her to rotating substitutes in earlier than usual.

“That wasn’t just because of foul trouble,” Mulkey said. “I was subbing early because I thought in the South Carolina game, I thought we were short on our shots so let’s rest them if we can more in the first and second quarter and see if we can get more production from our bench while they’re fresh.”

Five things Kim Mulkey said after another loss to South Carolina

Here’s what LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey said after the loss to South Carolina

LSU women’s basketball fell short again vs. South Carolina, making it 16 straight losses to the Gamecocks. After a competitive first half, Dawn Staley and South Carolina took charge in the second half and held the lead from there.

LSU’s offense was clicking in the first quarter, scoring 22 points, but LSU only scored eight points in the second and 11 in the third.

LSU shot just 23/77 from the field and was 3/14 from behind the arch. LSU fouled South Carolina 19 times and the Gamecocks had an 11-point margin at the free-throw line. In a 10-point game, that was enough to be the difference.

South Carolina scored 22 points off LSU turnovers along with 34 points in the paint.

LSU won the rebounding battle, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the poor shooting performance.

It was LSU’s first loss of the season. At 20-1, Kim Mulkey’s squad remains in control of its destiny.

Here’s what [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] said after the loss.

On Aneesah Morrow and offensive rebounding

“I thought she did fine. She had a double-double. She’s 5-11, six foot in there and she led everybody in rebounding. Hell, we had 28 offensive boards. And you lost by 10, so what does that tell you? It tells you we’re not doing anything when we get those offensive boards. You gotta do something with them, you gotta score, you gotta take good shots. I didn’t think (Morrow) did anything than what she usually does.”

On LSU’s defense

“I thought our defense, and I thought South Carolina’s defense was good. Low scoring game. Both teams scouted each other pretty darn good. It wasn’t an entertaining game from an offensive standpoint, but I didn’t think it was a boring game. I thought it was a very good game. We just played our man-to-man like we always do, we didn’t double anybody. I didn’t notice that South Carolina did anything different. Just two teams that are very talented going at it.”

On Flau’Jae Johnson

Mulkey said South Carolina did a good job contesting Johnson’s shots and getting physical in the second half.

“That’s basketball,” Mulkey said, “Flau’Jae guarded Pao-Pao, look at Pao-Pao’s stats. So Flau’Jae had a decent day too.”

What made the difference

“In this game, it’s just the little things that’s usually the difference. To me, it was turnovers at the most critical time that allowed the crowd to get into it, that allowed them to gain a little more confidence.”

What she learned

“I learned we can hang with the best in the country,” Mulkey said, “And I do think they’re the best in the country. I know UCLA put it on them, but I don’t think I’ve ever coached against a team that had 10 McDonald’s All-Americans on the roster. How do you even keep 10 on the roster? And that’s what we faced today.”

Five takeaways from LSU women’s basketball’s loss at South Carolina

LSU dropped another one to South Carolina. Here are five takeaways from the loss.

LSU women’s basketball will have to wait longer to snap its [autotag]South Carolina[/autotag] losing streak. The Gamecocks won their 17th straight of the series on Friday afternoon, winning a top-five battle in Columbia by a final score of 66-56.

After a competitive first half, South Carolina went on a run to open the third quarter. [autotag]Dawn Staley[/autotag] and the Gamecocks held the lead from there.

[autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] had another double-double and now has 93 in her career. She led the way for LSU with 15 points but fouled out late in the fourth quarter.

[autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson [/autotag] also scored in double-digits.

[autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] and LSU have won a lot since she arrived in Baton Rouge, but a win over South Carolina proves to be an evasive task. Last year, LSU got a second crack vs. the Gamecocks in the SEC Championship game. The two may be on a collision course to meet there again this year.

Here are five takeaways from LSU’s loss.

Turnovers remain an issue for LSU

LSU’s offensive identity is built on playing in transition and scoring in the paint. When defenses slow the game down and force LSU to play half-court basketball, the Tigers are prone to struggles.

We saw that on Friday, with turnovers being an issue for Mulkey’s squad. LSU protected the ball early, but South Carolina started to create havoc in the second quarter. That trend continued into the second half.

LSU finished with 17 turnovers and South Carolina had 20 points off turnovers.

LSU slows down after explosive first-quarter

LSU looked good in the first quarter. The Tigers hit two early three-pointers and were cashing in on second-chance point. Mulkey’s crew scored 22 points in the first 10 minutes, but South Carolina had success of its own, scoring 21.

That’s as good as it got for LSU and after that, the Gamecocks defense locked in. LSU scored just eight points in the second and 12 in the third. At that point, LSU started to lose poise as Carolina played with a lead and energy from their home crowd.

LSU finished just 23 of 75 from the field.

South Carolina takes advantage of free-throws

LSU was called for 17 fouls on Friday evening and South Carolina took advantage.

The Gamecocks took advantage, sinking 17 free-throws. South Carolina had a 10-point advantage in this department, with LSU going 7/9 from the line. Without that +10 margin, this game looks a lot different.

LSU faces uphill battle for No. 1 seed

Despite entering the game 20-0, LSU was not a No. 1 seed according to ESPN “bracketologist” Charlie Creme. After the loss, the Tiger’s chances at a top seed are slim.

LSU’s nonconference schedule was relatively easy and the Tigers didn’t get many resume-building chances. And even with the strength of the SEC, it will be hard for LSU’s resume to stack up with the nation’s best teams when Selection Sunday rolls around.

South Carolina still haunts LSU

In the grand scheme of things, a regular season loss doesn’t matter. South Carolina blew LSU out in 2023 and the Tigers went on to win the national title.

But this is a budding rivalry — and LSU wants to exercise this demon at some point.

LSU is competitive with South Carolina, but the Gamecocks have continually made the plays when it mattered at key points in these games. If LSU doesn’t see South Carolina in the postseason. the Tigers will get the Gamecocks in Baton Rouge next year. Maybe some home cooking can get it done for LSU.

6-foot-1 LSU guard Aneesah Morrow and her historic double-double streak defy logic

Not to be dramatic, but how does Aneesah Morrow do it?!

We need to have a conversation about Aneesah Morrow.

Admittedly, we’ve kept tabs on LSU throughout the season. The team is undefeated, and they’ve got plenty of ballers on the squad that bear watching, including Aneesah Morrow. But something about Morrow is different this year. She’s on a blistering double-double streak, and none of it makes sense.

Through 20 games, Morrow has 18 double-doubles— yes, EIGHTEEN—the most in Division I women’s basketball. She has TWO 20-point, 20-rebounds this season and is the only player to do so. Her efforts on the court also have her up to 92 career double-doubles, the third-most in DI history. Did I mention she’s only 6-foot-1, leading the country in rebounds? SHE AVERAGES *checks notes* OVER 14 REBOUNDS A GAME. Say what now, Aneesah Morrow?! This is sorcery.

Okay, it’s not sorcery, per se. It’s wizardry. Magic. SOMETHING. It defies logic. And, truthfully, you can’t do this kind of stuff on a court without an unrelenting motor.

Head coach Kim Mulkey tried to warn everyone about Morrow back in November. “She’s constantly working. No one outworks her,” Mulkey said then. “No one outworks her in practice. No one outworks her in a game…Everything she gets, she deserves.”

If you hadn’t paid attention to Aneesah Morrow before, now would be the time to lean all the way and grab your popcorn. Her season is a movie.

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Five things LSU fans should know about South Carolina before Thursday’s showdown

Here’s everything LSU fans need to know about South Carolina before Thursday’s tilt

Note: LSU vs. South Carolina has been postponed to Friday at 4 PM CT due to the impacts of winter storm Enzo.

No. 5 LSU women’s basketball faces its biggest test of the season on Thursday.

The Tigers travel to No. 2 South Carolina on Thursday in a top-five SEC tilt. The Gamecocks have just one loss on the year, coming at the hands of No. 1 UCLA.

Last season, South Carolina won both matchups between the two teams. The first was a regular season game at the PMAC and the second was in the SEC Championship.

Head coach Dawn Staley’s team went undefeated in 2023-24 en route to winning the national championship. The Gamecocks lost one starter from their title run, meaning loads of experience and scoring returned.

LSU has yet to face a team that comes close to the firepower of South Carolina. Head coach Kim Mulkey’s team features the nation’s top double-double scorer in [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] as well as a powerful guard tandem in [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Mikayla Williams.[/autotag] Will they and their teammates be able to keep up with the Gamecocks in Columbia, SC?

Here are five things LSU fans should know about South Carolina heading into Thursday.

1. Experienced roster

WNBA draft pick Kamilla Cardoso is the only crucial departure from South Carolina’s title team. Its regular starting lineup this season has a combined 316 starts and 10 of its players average 15 or more minutes per contest.

Staley likes to build depth in order to implement her play style and she’s certainly done so with the Gamecocks this season. They faced adversity in the loss to the Bruins but tend to dominate opponents. This roster won’t shy down from a game of this magnitude.

2. Defense

South Carolina allows just 55.1 points per game, good enough for thirteenth in the country, while holding opponents to a second-best 35.7% shooting from the field. Boasting three starters over six feet tall, the Gamecocks aim to control the paint with their height and length.

Look for Mulkey to give forwards Jersey Wolfenbarger and Sa’Myah Smith increased minutes. In its last contest against Florida, Mulkey went with a smaller lineup more often and it led to the Gators winning the rebounding battle.

3. Rebounding

Thursday’s contest features two elite rebounding units. Both teams rank in the nation’s top 10% for the statistic. Aneesah Morrow leads the charge for LSU while South Carolina takes a committee approach. Chloe Kitts pulls down a team-best 7.6 boards per game.

In what will be a physical and chippy game, the team that controls the glass will give itself an advantage. Mulkey implores her guards to get in on the rebounding effort, so it will be interesting to see if this philosophy resonates against the Gamecocks.

4. Pace of play

Mulkey’s guard-heavy lineups push the pace of play and rank in the top 10% in possessions per forty minutes. South Carolina is middle of the pack, meaning it likes to run through half-court sets to and take quality shots.

LSU thrives on making plays in transition but that relies on forcing turnovers and securing defensive rebounds. Against a South Carolina team loaded with height and experienced guards, the Tigers must take care of the basketball when pushing the game’s pace.

5. Coaching

Thursday’s game carries the weight of last season’s brawl in the SEC championship and this season’s conference depth. One of the biggest storylines develops from two legendary coaches on the sideline.

In a game with two of the nation’s highest-powered offenses, look for Mulkey and Staley to push the envelope. From play calling to defensive looks and lineups, the game could take multiple turns.

Three things Kim Mulkey said after LSU’s win at Florida

Here’s what LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey said after LSU beat Florida and a big game with South Carolina looming

LSU women’s basketball moved to 20-0 on the year with a road win against Florida on Sunday.

For the eleventh time this season, two Tigers scored 20+ points. [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] recorded her 10th consecutive double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] scored a game-high 22 points, while Flau’Jae Johnson posted 19 points.

The Gators held the advantage on the boards but were forced into 24 turnovers. LSU committed just nine giveaways and led 25-9 in points off of turnovers.

Florida led after one quarter in Gainesville and held the Tigers to 15 points, all on threes. However, LSU took the lead two minutes into the second and never looked back. The Tigers led by double-digits for all of the fourth and went on a 17-0 run to open the frame.

Head coach Kim Mulkey and her staff emphasize the importance of using defense to fuel the offense, which is exactly what the Tigers did in turnover points. They also held Florida to 37.9% from the field.

Here is what Mulkey had to say following the victory.

Defense

Sunday’s contest marked the first time LSU played against a true center in Ra Shaya Kyle. She was held to 11 points and Mulkey gives her team credit for keeping Kyle out of the paint.

Mulkey noted the Tigers cannot get complacent with simply outscoring opponents and must focus on playing team defense.

“We have to learn to trust each other,” Mulkey said. “Sometimes we eave each other on an island. Everybody [needs to] guard the ball and I thought we did it in spurts today.”

Turnovers

Four of LSU’s nine giveaways occurred in the first quarter. The Tigers took care of the ball for most of the contest, contrary to some of their numbers earlier in the year.

“We didn’t have any bad, forced shots,” Mulkey said. “We took care of the ball and got good looks.”

Mulkey noted the importance of giving the defense credit for forcing turnovers while also seeing if there were any unforced errors.

“If we have a lot of turnovers, was it a mental turnover or was it something they just really did good on the defensive end?” Mulkey said “I always start with watching how they defend.”

Rebounding

According to Mulkey, Florida kept the score close early on by controlling the glass. Particularly in the first half, LSU couldn’t corral long rebounds when Mulkey decided to play small ball.

“Our guards have to help us rebound even when we go to the small lineup, which I did in the first half,” Mulkey said.

Three takeaways from the LSU women’s basketball win as Tigers stay unbeaten

Here are three takeaways from the LSU women’s basketball win over Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt gave LSU all it could handle on Monday inside the PMAC. But the Tigers pulled away late to seal an 83-77.

[autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] led the fourth-quarter surge and was one of three Tigers who finished with 20 points or more. She posted 25 while [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] scored 20. [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] had a double-double with 23 points and 15 rebounds.

Khamil Pierre kept the Commodores in the game with 28 points and eight rebounds, one of three players to finish in double figures. Iyana Moore knocked down five three-pointers and finished with 23 points.

The score was knotted at the end of the first and second quarters. Vanderbilt led for most of the first thanks to two threes from Moore. A 10-2 run from the Tigers with under five minutes left brought the margin closer heading into the second.

LSU held two six-point leads early in the second frame but that lead dwindled as time wore on. Vanderbilt came back and tied the score at 37 apiece heading into the locker room.

Morrow and Williams combined for a 10-0 run with eight minutes left in the third quarter. Once again, the Tigers led by six points twice in the frame but they held a lead as the final frame began.

Johnson and Morrow took over on both ends of the floor to seal a six-point win for the home team. The game ended with 13 lead changes and seven ties.

Here are three takeaways from the win.

Clutch play

In a back-and-forth game, both teams were in search of a scoring run and players to will them to victory.

For the Tigers, one of those players was Johnson. She hit two go-ahead buckets in the fourth quarter, one of which put them ahead for good. The junior guard scored 11 of her 25 points in the frame.

Morrow pulled down five rebounds in the fourth to help preserve the victory. She played the entire game and also chipped in two steals. For the Commodores, Pierre scored 11 straight points in the fourth quarter to keep her team close.

LSU dominant on the boards

In a game where all the little things mattered, LSU claimed a huge advantage on the boards. It outrebounded Vanderbilt 45-25 and finished with five players who totaled five or more boards.

The Tigers capitalized on the offensive end, turning in 17 second-chance points and 44 points in the paint. They pulled down 21 offensive rebounds to Vanderbilt’s seven. The Commodores claimed a narrow 17-13 lead in fast break points.

LSU’s deep rotation

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey rarely plays more than eight players in a game. Against Vanderbilt, she cleared the bench in the first quarter.

10 Tigers saw the court in the first quarter while eleven players made an appearance in Monday’s contest compared to eight Commodores. LSU led in bench points 9-4. Kailyn Gilbert scored six of those nine points from substitutes.

Aneesah Morrow and Flau’Jae Johnson named to Wooden Award watch list

Two LSU women’s basketball stars were named to a prestigious watchlist

Two LSU women’s basketball stars landed on a midseason watch list for a national award.

[autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] and [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] are on the midseason watch list for the Wooden Award, given annually to the nation’s best college basketball player. They are two of 25 players named to the list.

Six of the watchlists’ names play in the SEC. Former Tiger guard Hailey Van Lith, who now plays for TCU, is also on the list in addition to UConn’s Paige Bueckers and USC’s JuJu Watkins.

Morrow leads the country with 16 double-doubles and 14 rebounds per game. She ranks sixth in the SEC with 18.1 points and 2.65 steals per game. The senior forward gets it done on both ends of the floor as LSU’s undisputed front-court leader.

Johnson continues to be a scoring threat from all over. She can drive to the hoop, knock down mid-range shots, or hit from three.

She leads the team and ranks fifth in the conference with 19.7 points per game while also pulling down 6.1 rebounds per game. The junior guard scored in double-figures for 27 straight games, dating back to last season, and she is the only SEC guard with multiple 20-point double-doubles this season.

Everything Kim Mulkey said following LSU’s win over Illinois-Chicago

Here’s everything LSU women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey said after Thursday’s win

LSU women’s basketball overcame a slow start on Thursday to cement an undefeated record heading into Christmas for the second time in four years under head coach Kim Mulkey.

In her homecoming, [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] posted her 12th double-double of the season as the Tigers defeated Illinois-Chicago 91-73 on Thursday. She totaled 19 points and 13 rebounds. [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] also finished with a double-double with a game-high 23 points and 11 rebounds. [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] rounded out the purple and gold’s double-digit scorers with 17 points.

In a high-scoring contest filled with three-point attempts, the first quarter was a defensive stalemate. LSU broke through with a 9-0 run late in the frame and forced seven turnovers. Illinois-Chicago opened the second going 3-3 from the floor, but the Tigers recovered and entered the break up nine.

LSU kept the energy going after the half as it opened on a 12-0 run to put the game out of reach. The Tigers didn’t allow a field goal in the opening four minutes of the third and pushed its lead to 20 midway through the fourth. They weathered a there-point barrage by the Flames and sealed an 18-point victory.

Here is everything Mulkey said in the postgame press conference.

Morrow’s Performance

Morrow’s double-double, the 86th of her career, moves her into sixth place for most in Division I history. Before Thursday’s game, she visited her high school, Simeon Career Academy, which she led to its first City and State championships. Morrow is the school’s first women’s basketball player to have her jersey retired.

“She got to come back home, and she got a warm applause on her introduction. I’m glad that we were able to do it. It’s important to them, and it’s important to me, too.”

“They were doubling her, and I need to help her a little bit more on some things. It was crowded in there. She came out to shoot more perimeter shots than she’s probably shot in a while, but you expect that coming home. She finally relaxed and made some.”

Defensive Concerns

LSU allowed Illinois-Chicago to shoot over 40% from the field, which didn’t sit right with Mulkey. While she admitted the game lacked defense as a whole, the Tigers’ leader wants more out of her team on that end of the floor.

“This is a game where I’m not sure, from a defensive standpoint, either team was good defensively.”

“We’ve got to get better defensively. We just don’t defend like it matters. We defend like, ‘We’re better than you, and we’re going to outscore you,’ and that just bothers me.”

“You have all of them buy into it, get in a stance. We’ve got to get back to being a better defensive team.”

In-game Adjustments

Coming into the game, LSU was not prepared to guard Illinois-Chicago heavily around the arc. The Flames went 45.8% from three-point range and shot 50% or higher in two frames of Thursday’s contest.

“I can’t tell you that I made many adjustments. I think we allowed dribble penetration to happen too much, and because of that, they made more threes. I think they doubled the number they make in games; they don’t normally make many threes.”

Focus 

“At one point, I thought I was watching an all-star game, seeing who could shoot the most threes and make them. I’m grateful that we won. It’s hard to go on the road and play, and then after the game, they all head home for Christmas, so I think focus would be a word that I would use.”

“You worry about your team’s focus when you play a game the night before they leave, and it’s on the road. That is always a concern.”

In its next game, LSU returns to Baton Rouge to host Albany on December 29 at 1 PM.