By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
The No. 6 LSU women’s basketball team will look to win its seventh straight game on Sunday when it hosts No. 24 Alabama at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center (11 a.m., SEC Network).
Head coach Kim Mulkey, who coached her 900th career game against Arkansas, has now led the Tigers to five consecutive 20-win seasons after LSU’s 92-70 win over Arkansas (11-11, 0-7 Southeastern Conference) on Thursday. In her 26 years as a head coach, Mulkey has led every team she’s coached to at least 20 wins.
Midway through SEC play, LSU (20-2, 6-2 SEC) is just one game behind first place. Mulkey, who has one of the most talented rosters in the nation, said she has learned a lot about her team through the team’s first eight conference games.
“I’ve learned that I have a pretty good team who are very talented,” Mulkey said after the win over Arkansas on Thursday. “We have a lot of depth. We still have a lot of growing to do. I like my team, and that’s a blessing because usually as a coach, you struggle with having to discipline kids and having to deal with those that pout, and I don’t deal with that with this team. They’re just very cohesive and as you age in this profession, that matters. I really, really like our team.”
The Tigers control their own destiny in conference play, but the margin for error is slim with five ranked opponents ahead in February (No. 24 Alabama, No. 4 Texas (19-2, 5-2 SEC), No. 3 South Carolina (20-2, 7-1 SEC), No. 17 Ole Miss (18-4, 5-2 SEC) and No. 15 Tennessee (14-4, 6-1 SEC)).
Alabama (19-3, 5-3 SEC) comes to Baton Rouge with one of the league’s best defenses, holding conference opponents to just 55.2 points per game. Mulkey said it’s going to be a battle on Sunday.
“Heck, they may be the best coaching staff in the SEC based on what they produce. I know Kristy (Curry) personally and Kelly (Curry) personally and I just know what they do for Alabama and I don’t think it gets talked about enough. I know we went there last year and Mikaylah had the free throw and she had a chance to win it there at the end. So, I mean you’re going to have battles, I think the year before that, we were down at half and come back out and pressed and got back in the game. Their guards are really good. Cody’s really good in the paint.”
Alabama is led by senior guard Jessica Simmons, who enters Sunday’s contest averaging 16.1 points while shooting 45.2% from the field. In the post, LSU will have its hands full with 6-4 senior forward Essence Cody. In the Crimson Tide’s 88-85 overtime win over the Tigers last season, Cody had 17 points, six rebounds, five blocks and two steals.
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