By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
When the LSU women’s basketball team needs to close a game out, it usually relies on junior guard Mikaylah Williams. But on Thursday night, the Tigers went to junior guard MiLaysia Fulwiley.
Fulwiley led LSU in its 78-70 win over No. 17 Ole Miss in Oxford, scoring a career-high 26 points on 10-of-18 shooting. She also added seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks and three steals.
LSU (23-4, 9-4 Southeastern Conference) trailed by as many as 13 in the third quarter, but Fulwiley refused to allow the game to get out of reach. She provided a spark for the Tigers in the fourth quarter, forcing three Ole Miss turnovers and converting in transition on several occasions. Head coach Kim Mulkey said Fulwiley played a crucial role in the comeback.
“God blessed this child with speed, and I wouldn’t want to be on the floor with her, because when she takes off, you better put it in high gear, ‘cause she’ll find you,” Mulkey said after the win. “And a lot of times, honestly, she looks to pass too much. She needs to get to the rim, and finish and draw fouls.
At South Carolina, Fulwiley rarely had the opportunity to make an impact late in games. Now that she is in Baton Rouge, she’s glad to be able to help her team when it matters most.
“It feels good. I love it,” Fulwiley said. “Just got to keep working and staying ready and just keep remembering what I can do and just be confident.”
Fulwiley’s breakout performance against Ole Miss came after a disappointing outing against her former team, when she scored six points on 1-of-8 shooting with four turnovers. Fulwiley used the let-down as fuel.
“I mean it’s a learning lesson,” Fulwiley said. “I wanted to play well, of course and that happened, so I just told myself that you got a lot of more basketball to play. I can’t dwell on one game. It’s not like it was the SEC Tournament or anything, so I just got to keep going and keep staying ready for my team and just keep being able to give my team whatever they need from me.”
Fulwiley’s career-high night not only boosts her confidence heading into the final three games of the regular season, but it also gives LSU its best chance to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament when March rolls around.
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