Tag: cayman islands classic

Notre Dame will face TCU, Utah during Cayman Islands Classic

The Irish have some business to do Thanksgiving weekend.

The only part of Notre Dame’s schedule that wasn’t know before Tuesday was its opponents for the Cayman Island Classic. We knew this tournament meant the Irish would spend Thanksgiving weekend together, but we didn’t know which other teams lined up would face them. Wonder no longer.

The Irish will face TCU on Nov. 29, then have a meeting with Utah on Nov. 30. Both teams previously have played the Irish three times in the history and lost every single time. The Horned Frogs last lost to the Irish in 2016, while the Utes were knocked out of the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

Among the notable storylines here is that the Irish will face Frogs transfer Hailey Van Lith, a two-time First Team All-ACC selection during her days at Louisville, where she went 5-2 against the Irish. She played last season with defending champion LSU, which fell to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Elite Eight.

Let’s hope the Irish will be ready for some fun in the sun over the holiday. More importantly, let’s hope that fun includes a couple of wins.

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LSU’s Aneesah Morrow named ESPN Player of the Week

Aneesah Morrow led the team to a 2-0 record in the Cayman Islands.

With [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] currently away from the LSU women’s basketball team for undisclosed reasons, [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] has really stepped things up. After an impressive three-game stretch, she was named the ESPN Player of the Week.

Morrow started the week with a 17-point, seven-steal and four-rebound game against Texas Southern, but she took her game to the next level in the Cayman Islands Classic.

She had a 28-point, 10-rebound double-double in the win over Niagara, and in a three-point win over Virginia, she had 37 points and 16 rebounds as she led the Tigers to a win to close out its run in the islands.

She was also named the SEC Player of the Week and the Ann Myers Drysdale USBWA Player of the Week.

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Instant Analysis: LSU rolls to sixth-straight win in Cayman Islands opener vs. Niagara

The Tigers began their run in the Cayman Islands Classic on a high note.

LSU’s women’s basketball team started its run at the Cayman Islands Classic, winning its sixth game in a row as it took down Niagara 99-65 in the opener. Next up will be a matchup against Virginia on Saturday as the team closes out its two-game run.

Even without [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] and [autotag]Kateri Poole[/autotag], who didn’t make the trip to the Cayman Islands, LSU shot nearly 60% as a team with [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] leading the way with a game-high 28 points. [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] (20), [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] (19) and [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] (14) all scored in double figures.

The Purple Eagles turned the ball over 30 times to LSU’s 21, and the Tigers led by as much as 42 in the game.

It was a dominating performance, and it’s one Kim Mulkey’s team will look to replicate when it takes on an ACC opponent Saturday.

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LSU women’s basketball’s Angel Reese, Kateri Poole didn’t travel to Cayman Islands

The Tigers will be without their biggest star once again the Cayman Islands.

The Tigers will be without two key players as star forward [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag], as well as rotational player [autotag]Kateri Poole[/autotag], did not make the trip to the Cayman Islands Classic. Both missed Friday’s opener against Niagara, and they will also miss Saturday’s game against Virginia.

The news was first reported by ESPN.

Reese is now set to miss at least four games since she was benched in the second half of a win over Kent State. It’s currently unclear why either is currently away from the team, and coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] has declined to go into detail regarding Reese’s status multiple times.

Both players’ statuses will certainly be something to watch as the Tigers face a top-10 team in Virginia Tech after returning from the islands.

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LSU women’s basketball’s Cayman Islands Classic opponents revealed

LSU will face Niagara on Nov. 24 and Virginia the following day.

The LSU women’s basketball team will be heading down to the tropics over Thanksgiving break as the team competes in the Cayman Islands Classic. Now, the Tigers know who they will face in those contests.

LSU will face Niagara on Nov. 24 at 12:30 p.m. CT followed by a matchup against Virginia the following day at 4 p.m. Both contests will take place at John Gray Gymnasium in George Town, Cayman Islands.

Niagara is coming off an 18-13 season and appearance in the WNIT. The Cavaliers went 15-15 last season and were invited to the WNIT but ultimately declined with too few players available due to injury.

After landing a pair of elite transfers in [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] and [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] to pair with returning stars [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] and [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag], the Tigers will likely begin the year as the preseason No. 1 team and favorite to repeat as national champions.

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LSU falls to Kansas State in Cayman Islands Classic championship after second-half surger

The Tigers’ undefeated start came to an end in the finals at the Cayman Islands Classic.

The Tigers suffered the first loss of the [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] era on Wednesday night as they squandered a halftime lead in a 61-59 loss to Kansas State in the championship of the Cayman Islands Classic.

LSU falls to 5-1 on the season and draws a solid mid-major opponent in Wofford in its next contest on Sunday.

Once again, [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag] led the way scoring for the Tigers. He finished with 17 points on 8 of 13 shooting with 10 rebounds — his first double-double fo he season. [autotag]Justice Hill[/autotag] finished with 12 points, while [autotag]Adam Miller[/autotag] had 11.

It was a solid shooting day for the Tigers, who were 43.4% from the field, but they turned the ball over 17 times with 14 of those coming in the second half. Despite 17 turnovers of their own and a worse shooting performance, the Wildcats managed to take advantage of enough opportunities to win the game.

Markquis Nowell led KSU with 18 points, while Keyontae Johnson — a Florida transfer — scored 16. Desi Sills matched Johnson’s scoring total coming off the bench.

With the Tigers’ undefeated start spoiled, they’ll have to refocus ahead of a home matchup with the Terriers on Sunday at 2 p.m.

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LSU basketball vs. Kansas State: Stream, injury report, broadcast info for Cayman Islands Classic Championship

Here’s what you need to know about this battle between unbeaten opponents.

After winning their first two games in the Cayman Islands Classic against Illinois State and Akron, the Tigers find themselves in the event’s championship on Wednesday night in what will be a battle of unbeaten teams.

LSU takes on 5-0 Kansas State, who is in this position by virtue of a 96-87 overtime win in the semifinal against previously undefeated Nevada. The Wildcats have a win this season against California and a mutual opponent with LSU in Kansas City, who they beat 69-53.

KSU is led by Florida transfer forward Keyontae Johnson, a former All-SEC player, and first-year head coach Jerome Tang, a longtime assistant under Scott Drew at Baylor.

Here’s what you need to know to follow this one.

LSU overcomes halftime deficit to beat Akron, advances to Cayman Islands Classic championship

The Tigers trailed by two at the break, but they outscored the Zips by 15 in the second half of the semifinal matchup.

The Tigers struggled at times and found themselves in an early hole, but they ultimately pulled away for a comfortable 73-58 win in the Cayman Islands Classic semifinals on Tuesday over Akron. LSU is now 5-0 on the season to start the [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] era.

This one was tight in the first half, and LSU actually trailed. The Zips led by eight at one point in the final minutes, though the Tigers were able to cut that lead to two by the break.

LSU outscored Akron by 17 in the second half, largely thanks to a 15-point frame from leading scorer [autotag]Adam Miller[/autotag], who had 23 points in total on the day. The Tigers shot 48.1% from the floor, and the offense had a season-low 10 turnovers. [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag] had 19 points and five rebounds, while Justice Hill had a season-high 14 points.

Defensively, it was a great game for the Tigers, who held Akron to 25.9% shooting for the game and 20% in the second half. They forced 14 turnovers, nine of which were steals.

Now, the Tigers move on to the championship, where they will face the winner of Tuesday night’s game between Kansas State and Nevada. That game is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday.

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LSU basketball vs. Akron: Stream, injury report, broadcast info for Game 2 of the Cayman Islands Classic

The Tigers will face the Zips in the winner’s bracket on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. CT.

After a smooth, 77-61 win over Illinois State in which forward [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag] led the team with 33 points, coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] and 4-0 LSU will draw Akron in Game 2 of the Cayman Islands Classic in the winner’s bracket.

The Zips, who enter this game at 3-1 on the season, enter by virtue of a 72-53 win over Western Kentucky in their tournament opener. Otherwise, Akron has tight wins against Morgan State and South Dakota State with its loss coming by 19 points against Mississippi State.

Led by sixth-year coach John Groce, the Zips are coming off a MAC Tournament Championship and appearance in the NCAA Tournament. They lost their first game as a No. 13 seed to No. 4-seeded UCLA.

Here’s what you need to know to follow this one, which tips off at 12:30 p.m. CT.

LSU storms past Illinois State to win Cayman Islands Classic opener

The Tigers will face the winner of Akron-Western Kentucky on Tuesday afternoon.

The Tigers are heading into the winner’s bracket in the Cayman Islands Classic after breezing past Illinois State in the opener with a 77-61 win. Now, LSU will face the winner of Akron-Western Kentucky at 12:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday.

It was something of a breakout game for forward [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag], who followed coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] from Murray State. He led the team with 33 points, shooting 13 of 19 for the game while also notching a game-high eight rebounds.

Guards [autotag]Adam Miller[/autotag] (13 points) and [autotag]Cam Hayes[/autotag] (10) also scored in double figures as the team shot nearly 50% for the game, though its offense dropped of in the second half as the Tigers were outscored by 11. They led 45-18 at the break.

The Redbirds had three players finish in double figures offensively and shot 42.3% from the game, but they were an abysmal 5 of 22 from beyond the arc, and 19 turnovers overshadowed a sloppy LSU team that also gave the ball away 18 times.

It was another performance that leaves this team with a lot to work on, but McMahon is 4-0 to start his LSU tenure with a chance to move to 5-0 on Tuesday.

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