Tag: Last-Tear Poa

LSU women’s basketball star Hailey Van Lith reportedly enters transfer portal

Hailey Van Lith didn’t declare for the WNBA draft, but she’s reportedly moving on for her final season of college.

It looked like [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] was coming back to Baton Rouge on Thursday morning.

After Wednesday night’s deadline to enter the 2024 WNBA draft came and went without an announcement from Van Lith, she appeared likely to return for another season in Baton Rouge. But Thursday afternoon, 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported that Van Lith has instead opted to enter the transfer portal.

A transfer addition last offseason from Louisville, the Wenatchee, Washington, native was a two-time First Team All-SEC selection with the Cardinals. Her addition was expected to lead the Tigers to a repeat as national champions this season.

But her time with the Tigers had its ups and downs. She moved to point guard this season, and the result was an unsurprising drop in production. After averaging 19.7 points at Louisville last season, that number dropped to 11.6 this year.

She also saw her minutes decrease with the emergence of [autotag]Last-Tear Poa[/autotag] down the stretch, though she started all 33 games she appeared in this season.

In the Elite Eight loss to Iowa, Van Lith scored nine points but shot just 2 of 10 from the field. She also drew Caitlin Clark, who scored 21 points, on defense for most of the game and had her fair share of struggles.

A fourth-year junior, she had the option to join [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] in the WNBA draft or return to school. She has chosen the latter, though it seems she will not be playing for the Tigers.

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Kim Mulkey provides positive update on LSU’s Last-Tear Poa after win over Ole Miss

According to Kim Mulkey, Last-Tear Poa has movement in her extremities, and a CT scan came back clean.

LSU won 75-67 over Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament semifinal on Saturday night, advancing to the conference title game against undefeated, top-seeded South Carolina.

But that victory was overshadowed in many ways by a scary moment in the fourth quarter. After seemingly hitting her head on the court, junior guard [autotag]Last-Tear Poa[/autotag] was unable to leave the court on her own.

She was ultimately placed in a neck brace and taken off the court on a stretcher. According to the broadcast, she was later taken to a hospital in downtown Greenville, South Carolina.

After the game, however, coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] offered a positive update on Poa’s status. Her CT scan came back clean, and she has movement in her extremities.

Poa has mostly been a key bench player for the Tigers this season, but she was thrust into the starting lineup as [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] was out with an injury. It’s unclear what her status will be moving forward, but it seems the initial news on her condition is encouraging.

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Instant Analysis: LSU takes down Ole Miss in SEC semifinal, advances to championship game vs. South Carolina

The Tigers advance to their first SEC championship since 2012, where they will look for revenge against the Gamecocks.

The LSU women’s basketball team withstood a third-quarter rally to beat Ole Miss 75-67 in the SEC Tournament quarterfinal on Saturday night, and now coach Kim Mulkey’s team will advance to its first conference championship game since 2012, where it will face South Carolina in the rematch.

Ole Miss shot just 3 of 17 in the first quarter, and the Tigers managed to stretch a 19-12 lead in the frame with [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] and [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] combining for 15 points.

The Rebels cut the lead to four in the second quarter, but LSU subsequently stretched it back out to 11 and took a 36-28 lead to the locker room.

The third quarter was a different story, though. Ole Miss got back in the game, outscoring the Tigers in the frame and cutting their lead to just two entering the final period.

The Rebels couldn’t keep LSU from pulling away, however, in large part thanks to some clutch shooting from Johnson, who finished with 21 points. Angel Reese also scored 21 while adding 17 rebounds, and Aneesah Morrow had a double-double of her own with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

It wasn’t all good news for the Tigers, however. Guard [autotag]Last-Tear Poa[/autotag], an important rotational player, was stretchered off the court after seemingly hitting her head. She was taken to a local hospital.

The Tigers will be back in action on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT as they look to get their revenge against South Carolina.

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LSU’s Last-Tear Poa stretchered off court after scary moment in SEC Tournament semifinal vs. Ole Miss

Last-Tear Poa was taken to a Greenville hospital for further evaluation, according to the broadcast.

Bon Secours Wellness Arena held its breath on Saturday night during the SEC Tournament semifinal matchup between LSU and Ole Miss.

In the fourth quarter of the game, LSU guard [autotag]Last-Tear Poa[/autotag] suffered an injury after appearing to hit her head on the court. She attempted to leave the court on her own power but was ultimately unable.

After being down for several minutes, Poa was immobilized with a neck brace and taken off the court via stretcher during a scary and emotional scene.

On the ESPNU broadcast, it was reported that Poa will be taken to St. Francis Hospital in downtown Greenville for further evaluation.

The junior from Melbourne, Australia, has played a key role coming off the bench this season for the Tigers, appearing in all 31 games while making nine starts.

We’ll keep you updated on any news regarding Poa’s status here on LSU Wire.

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LSU women’s basketball holds on to get revenge over Auburn

The Tigers avenged a loss to Auburn from January and have now won five in a row.

It was a bit close for comfort, but LSU’s women’s basketball team was able to weather the storm to get revenge over the Auburn team that beat it last month, winning 71-66 in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Thursday night.

The game was tight in the first quarter, but the Tigers stretched a 10-point lead at the half. In the third quarter, Auburn outscored LSU, but coach Kim Mulkey’s team still held a nine-point lead entering the final frame.

That’s when things got a little bit dicey. LSU’s stars found themselves in foul trouble, and Auburn managed to cut the lead to just three with under three minutes to play.

However, that was the closest it would make it as the Tigers held on to win their fifth game in a row and avenge one of their three conference losses.

[autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] finished the game with 25 points and 20 rebounds despite recording four fouls, but [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] (11 points) was the only other starter to score in double figures.

LSU relied on its bench, particularly [autotag]Last-Tear Poa[/autotag], who had 13 points in the win, second only behind Reese.

It wasn’t exactly how the Tigers drew it up, but it’s a game they desperately needed to win. Now with just three games left in the regular season, LSU will be back in action on Sunday morning for what will likely be its toughest remaining test on the road against Tennessee.

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Instant Analysis: No. 13 LSU women’s basketball overcomes early deficit to beat Alabama

The Tigers have now won three games in a row after Sunday’s come-from-behind win.

LSU looked like it was in danger of dropping its fourth SEC contest against Alabama on Sunday. The Tigers found themselves in an early double-digit deficit, but a dominant third quarter lifted the Tigers to an 85-66 win as their winning streak extended to three games.

LSU shot just 5 of 18 in the first quarter, and it found itself in an early 23-14 hole entering the second quarter. Alabama’s own shooting wasn’t great in that span, and that prevented it from significantly expanding the lead for most of the second quarter.

Still, the Crimson Tide managed to take a 10-point lead to the locker room as LSU went back to the drawing board at halftime. It proved to be beneficial.

The Tigers looked like a different team to start the second half, opening on a 14-1 run to retake the lead. LSU ultimately outscored the Tide 30-9 in the third as it rapidly seized control of the game, a trend that continued in the fourth quarter.

[autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] finished with a 27-point, 19-rebound double-double, and [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] (16 points), [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] (14) and [autotag]Last-Tear Poa[/autotag] (11) also scored in double figures.

LSU forced 17 turnovers and won the rebounding battle 54-34. Alabama hit just 47% of its free throws.

The Tigers move to 21-4 (8-3 SEC) and will have more than a week off before they return to the court a week from Monday to face Texas A&M on the road.

After a few adjustments, Kim Mulkey has LSU women’s basketball ready to peak at the right time

On Sunday, LSU women’s basketball showed improvements in all phases of the game, leading a 40-point win over Florida.

Coming off back to back losses, LSU women’s basketball found a way to right the ship against Florida on Sunday afternoon.

Kim Mulkey’s LSU squad isn’t used to dropping two in a row. It’s only happened twice now since her arrival in Baton Rouge.

Despite the 19-4 record, Mulkey’s expressed frustration at points this year. Her team hasn’t shown the same level of consistency it did last year, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

But on Sunday, LSU once again looked like a team ready to compete for a national title.

LSU held Florida to just 17.4% from three-point range. That was LSU’s best number in conference play all year, and second-best overall.

That was critical for a unit coming off its worst three-point defending performance of the year when it allowed Mississippi State to shoot over 52% from downtown.

In the prior loss to South Carolina, LSU struggled to rebound down the stretch. That improved on Sunday too, with LSU posting its second-best rebound rate in a conference game all year.

Following the game, Mulkey said there were a few things LSU had been focused on fixing.

“Half-court defense and helping each other and being aggressive. We focused on transition defense and we focused on transition offense,” Mulkey said, “And I thought we were better in all three today.”

Mulkey wanted to see more fight from her team. It’s something she harped on after the opening loss to Colorado when she said she’ll live with poor shooting, but what she won’t have is a team that doesn’t show grit and fight.

On Sunday, she said her proudest moment was when LSU was still diving for loose balls up 40 in the fourth quarter.

“When you can give that kind of effort in the fourth quarter, and not the first quarter, I think you’re getting your message through,” Mulkey said.

[autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] noticed it herself, too.

Van Lith said she played with a different aggression yesterday, and it showed up with Van Lith recording her highest rebound total of the year.

“It’s my job to bring it every game and I’ve accepted that responsibility,” Van Lith said.

Mulkey’s handled the guards and Van Lith a bit differently on Sunday. [autotag]Last-Tear Poa[/autotag] played 27 minutes, the most she has in any conference or NCAA Tournament game in her time at LSU.

With Poa in playing the point, it allowed Van Lith to play freely, giving LSU that boost in transition. That’s where Mulkey said games are won.

“I really believe when you break down this game, men or women, I think games are won foul line to foul line. Who runs the most and the fastest the greatest number of times through the course of the game usually wins,” Mulkey said.

Of course, LSU needs to show it can do this consistently and away from home. After the Mississippi State loss, Mulkey said they need to get stops when it matters and that wasn’t tested in a 106-66 win against a Florida team that is 2-6 in conference play.

But Mulkey is making adjustments and the schedule down the stretch is a little easier than what LSU’s faced over the last month. If LSU can keep this up, the Tigers could be ready to peak at the right time again.

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Kim Mulkey talks about the improving play of Last-Tear Poa

Kim Mulkey described how important Last-Tear Poa can be for Tigers’ success.

LSU women’s basketball had a press conference Sunday after a big win over the Florida Gators. [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] and her team had the opportunity to clear the air and let out some grievances. One of the questions that was fielded by Mulkey was her thoughts on the play of [autotag]Last-Tear Poa[/autotag].

Poa is a junior guard from Melbourne, Australia. Poa played in 36 games last season and started in two of them. She averaged 3.4 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. She has improved those numbers to 4.4 points per game and 1.6 rebounds per game this season in just 23 games played.

“We need the Poa from last year,” Mulkey said. “If we get the Poa from last year and that kinda production then it will allow Hailey (Van Lith) to go to the off-guard to relieve Mikaylah (Williams), to relieve Flau’jae (Johnson) so we got that today, and Poa wanted that and so it was good.”

The Tigers will hope that kind of play continues when they hit the road to face Vanderbilt on Thursday night.

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Hailey Van Lith reportedly out for LSU vs. McNeese Tuesday night

Hailey Van Lith will miss her second straight game as she battles a foot injury.

LSU’s women’s basketball team is a colossal favorite heading into a Tuesday night home matchup against McNeese, but it will be without one of its top players.

According to a report from WAFB’s Jacques Doucet, [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] will miss her second straight game as she deals with a foot injury. Van Lith also missed Sunday’s 83-53 win over Louisiana.

Junior guard [autotag]Last-Tear Poa[/autotag] is likely to make her fifth start of the year in this game after also starting in the win over the Ragin’ Cajuns.

A graduate transfer from Louisville, Van Lith has started all nine games that she has appeared in this season, averaging 12.2 points and leading the team with five assists per game.

The Tigers will hope she’s able to make her return against Northwestern State on Sunday.

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Loyola no match for LSU women’s basketball as Tigers dominate in second exhibition win

The Tigers won their second and final exhibition game 121-36 over Loyola.

LSU looked the part of a preseason No. 1 team in its two exhibitions.

The Tigers completed their preseason slate on Wednesday night in a scrimmage against NAIA opponent Loyola (New Orleans), and it was an even more dominant win than the first scrimmage.

LSU won 121-36, starting the game on a 15-0 run and ultimately taking a 63-16 lead to the locker room.

After debuting a starting lineup of all newcomers in the first exhibition, we saw what will likely be the starting five in the regular season: [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag], [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag], Mikaylah Williams, Aneesah Morrow and Angel Reese.

Williams, a highly touted true freshman, led the team in scoring with 20 points followed by another true freshman in [autotag]Aalyah Del Rosario[/autotag] with 16. They were joined in double figures scoring by Johnson (15 points), Van Lith (13), [autotag]Last-Tear Poa[/autotag] (12) Morrow (11) and Reese (10).

Reese also added nine rebounds, coming one short of a double-double, as did Rosario. Morrow did manage a double-double as she had 12 rebounds.

LSU shot 60.5% as a team while allowing the Wolf Pack to shoot just 20.9 percent. Turnovers, of which LSU had 19, were a bit of a problem. However, it did force 20 of its own.

The Tigers divvied the minutes up quite a bit in this game as coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] looks to finalize the rotation. We’ll see the result of that when the Tigers begin their season Monday night against Colorado in Las Vegas.

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