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The LSU women's basketball season came to a close on Sunday in the Elite Eight. The third-seeded Tigers fell to No. 1-seed UCLA 72-65 in the Spokane regional.
In her final collegiate game, Aneesah Morrow finished with 15 points and seven rebounds. Flau'Jae Johnson led all scorers with 28 points and Mikaylah Williams added 10. The Tigers shot 37.3% from the field but couldn't contain UCLA center Lauren Betts and the Bruins' three-point shooters on the defensive end.
Neither team shot particularly well to start the game. After going two for its first 16, LSU went on a 9-2 run to take the lead thanks to a triple and layup from Morrow. Betts also picked up two fouls in the frame, forcing her to the bench for the entire second quarter.
Without its All-American forward, UCLA used its guard play to start the second frame on a 12-2 run. The Tigers' offensive struggles continued and they finished the half with nine turnovers, which led to eight UCLA points. The Bruins led by six at the break and shot five of 10 from three-point range.
With Betts back in the game, UCLA scored the third quarter's first five points and prompted LSU head coach Kim Mulkey to call a timeout. The Tigers struggled to respond initially and faced a 14-point deficit at one point. Johnson came alive in the back half of the quarter, scoring five points as part of a 9-2 run to make the score 46-41 in favor of the Bruins heading into the fourth.
UCLA opened the final frame with a triple but started to struggle midway through, turning the ball over six times. An 8-0 run brought LSU within three but the Tigers wouldn't get any closer. Gabriela Jaquez scored five straight points, including a dagger triple. The Bruins sank all of their free throw attempts with under a minute remaining to punch their first ticket to the Final Four in program history.
Here are five takeaways from LSU's loss to UCLA.
Betts didn't play a single minute of the second quarter. Her absence in previous games hurt the Bruins on both ends of the floor as she protects the rim and finishes through lots of contact, but the Tigers didn't make the most of her extended time on the bench.
LSU maintained its lead for two minutes of the frame before UCLA's guards caught fire. The Tigers couldn't establish a paint presence, even without Betts in the game. Morrow struggled from the field, Sa'Myah Smith was on the bench due to foul trouble and the team lacked dynamic play in transition. LSU missed its chance to put the Bruins in a major hole when they played without Betts for 10 minutes.
Outside of Johnson, LSU didn't get the necessary perimeter production to keep up with UCLA. Kailyn Gilbert missed all seven of her attempts from the field, three of which came in one fourth-quarter possession when the Tigers were trying to build momentum. In the first half, too many shots were taken early in the shot clock rather than generating ball movement and getting paint touches.
Williams also logged an uncharacteristic performance in the first half. She committed five turnovers, many of which were unforced travels, and two early fouls. Other than the fourth-quarter showing, the Tigers rarely created opportunities for themselves on the defensive end. They ended with just eight fast break points and 11 points from giveaways, many of which were from their final push.
After a lackluster Sweet Sixteen game against NC State, Johnson took accountability in front of her teammates. She pledged to focus more on the team's success rather than her own heading into the Elite Eight, a mindset that nearly won her team the game.
The junior guard stayed composed under pressure and came alive when her team needed her most. Johnson exploded for 24 points in the second half, giving her team hope in the face of adversity. She also got it done on the defensive end, finishing with three defensive rebounds, two blocks, one of which was on Betts, and two steals.
For an offense that runs through its center, UCLA rarely relies on distance shooting to win games. Its early three-pointers provided confidence that lasted through the final buzzer. LSU couldn't come up with an answer to defending the perimeter and it paid the price.
The Bruins made 10 of their 24 attempts from beyond the arc. After not taking a shot in the Sweet Sixteen game against Ole Miss, Timea Gardiner knocked down five triples on Sunday. Jaquez added four triples, which forced the Tigers to defend her more closely and sag off of Kiki Rice and Betts in the second half. As a result, Rice dished out eight assists and Betts made a living at the rim down the stretch.
In the final time of her career donning the purple and gold, Morrow rewrote more history in Sunday's contest. She moved into third place all-time with 1,714 career rebounds and is one of eight players in Division I history with over 2,500 points and 1,500 rebounds in a career.
Against the Bruins, she competed with one of the game's most prolific shot blockers and held her own. The senior forward even returned to the game in the fourth quarter after suffering a broken nose at the end of the third.
An undersized post player, Morrow dominated the paint for her entire four-year career and redefined the position with her relentlessness as a defender, scorer and rebounder. The Chicago, IL native spent two years at DePaul before transferring to LSU following the national championship season. She finished with 104 career double-doubles, one of two players with over 100 in a career. Morrow will now turn her attention to the WNBA.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Five takeaways: LSU comes up short vs. UCLA in Elite Eight
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In her final collegiate game, Aneesah Morrow finished with 15 points and seven rebounds. Flau'Jae Johnson led all scorers with 28 points and Mikaylah Williams added 10. The Tigers shot 37.3% from the field but couldn't contain UCLA center Lauren Betts and the Bruins' three-point shooters on the defensive end.
Neither team shot particularly well to start the game. After going two for its first 16, LSU went on a 9-2 run to take the lead thanks to a triple and layup from Morrow. Betts also picked up two fouls in the frame, forcing her to the bench for the entire second quarter.
Without its All-American forward, UCLA used its guard play to start the second frame on a 12-2 run. The Tigers' offensive struggles continued and they finished the half with nine turnovers, which led to eight UCLA points. The Bruins led by six at the break and shot five of 10 from three-point range.
With Betts back in the game, UCLA scored the third quarter's first five points and prompted LSU head coach Kim Mulkey to call a timeout. The Tigers struggled to respond initially and faced a 14-point deficit at one point. Johnson came alive in the back half of the quarter, scoring five points as part of a 9-2 run to make the score 46-41 in favor of the Bruins heading into the fourth.
UCLA opened the final frame with a triple but started to struggle midway through, turning the ball over six times. An 8-0 run brought LSU within three but the Tigers wouldn't get any closer. Gabriela Jaquez scored five straight points, including a dagger triple. The Bruins sank all of their free throw attempts with under a minute remaining to punch their first ticket to the Final Four in program history.
Here are five takeaways from LSU's loss to UCLA.
LSU couldn't capitalize with Betts in foul trouble
Betts didn't play a single minute of the second quarter. Her absence in previous games hurt the Bruins on both ends of the floor as she protects the rim and finishes through lots of contact, but the Tigers didn't make the most of her extended time on the bench.
LSU maintained its lead for two minutes of the frame before UCLA's guards caught fire. The Tigers couldn't establish a paint presence, even without Betts in the game. Morrow struggled from the field, Sa'Myah Smith was on the bench due to foul trouble and the team lacked dynamic play in transition. LSU missed its chance to put the Bruins in a major hole when they played without Betts for 10 minutes.
Lack of guard play shows on offense
Outside of Johnson, LSU didn't get the necessary perimeter production to keep up with UCLA. Kailyn Gilbert missed all seven of her attempts from the field, three of which came in one fourth-quarter possession when the Tigers were trying to build momentum. In the first half, too many shots were taken early in the shot clock rather than generating ball movement and getting paint touches.
Williams also logged an uncharacteristic performance in the first half. She committed five turnovers, many of which were unforced travels, and two early fouls. Other than the fourth-quarter showing, the Tigers rarely created opportunities for themselves on the defensive end. They ended with just eight fast break points and 11 points from giveaways, many of which were from their final push.
Johnson's resurgence fuels comeback effort
After a lackluster Sweet Sixteen game against NC State, Johnson took accountability in front of her teammates. She pledged to focus more on the team's success rather than her own heading into the Elite Eight, a mindset that nearly won her team the game.
The junior guard stayed composed under pressure and came alive when her team needed her most. Johnson exploded for 24 points in the second half, giving her team hope in the face of adversity. She also got it done on the defensive end, finishing with three defensive rebounds, two blocks, one of which was on Betts, and two steals.
UCLA three-pointers key to victory
For an offense that runs through its center, UCLA rarely relies on distance shooting to win games. Its early three-pointers provided confidence that lasted through the final buzzer. LSU couldn't come up with an answer to defending the perimeter and it paid the price.
The Bruins made 10 of their 24 attempts from beyond the arc. After not taking a shot in the Sweet Sixteen game against Ole Miss, Timea Gardiner knocked down five triples on Sunday. Jaquez added four triples, which forced the Tigers to defend her more closely and sag off of Kiki Rice and Betts in the second half. As a result, Rice dished out eight assists and Betts made a living at the rim down the stretch.
Morrow's historic season comes to an end
In the final time of her career donning the purple and gold, Morrow rewrote more history in Sunday's contest. She moved into third place all-time with 1,714 career rebounds and is one of eight players in Division I history with over 2,500 points and 1,500 rebounds in a career.
Against the Bruins, she competed with one of the game's most prolific shot blockers and held her own. The senior forward even returned to the game in the fourth quarter after suffering a broken nose at the end of the third.
An undersized post player, Morrow dominated the paint for her entire four-year career and redefined the position with her relentlessness as a defender, scorer and rebounder. The Chicago, IL native spent two years at DePaul before transferring to LSU following the national championship season. She finished with 104 career double-doubles, one of two players with over 100 in a career. Morrow will now turn her attention to the WNBA.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Five takeaways: LSU comes up short vs. UCLA in Elite Eight
Continue reading...
