Kim Mulkey and LSU Remain Unbeaten as No. 7 Tigers Take Down No. 20 NC State, 82-65

Flau'jae Johnson, LSU
LSU's Flau'jae Johnson rejects an NC State shot Wednesday in the Pink Flamingo bracket championship between the No. 7 Tigers and No. 20 Wolfpack. LSU moved to 8-0 on the season with the win. (Photo by LSU Athletics)

NASSAU, Bahamas – In a highly-anticipated showdown between two ranked teams, No. 7 LSU (8-0) remained undefeated as they defeated No. 20 NC State (4-3) 82-65 to claim the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship.

LSU coach Kim Mulkey, who earned her 99th victory at the helm of LSU’s basketball program, praised her team’s performance in the championship game.

“It’s hard to focus this time of year and I thought the two games we played here told us a little bit more about ourselves. It helped us get better,” Mulkey said.

Mulkey will have a chance to reach the milestone of 100 wins on Sunday when LSU hosts NC Central at 2 PM at the PMAC.

After shooting a season-low 33-percent from the field in their previous game against Washington, LSU bounced back with a 53-percent shooting performance in the championship game, including a 7-14 showing from beyond the arc.

Mulkey commented on the rollercoaster nature of basketball: “This game will humble you one minute and then it will be the highest of highs the next minute. It wasn’t any different – just one of those nights.”

Aneesah Morrow continued her dominant play for LSU, earning her sixth consecutive double-double of the season with 20 points and 15 rebounds. She was also named MVP of the Pink Flamingo Championship. Kailyn Gilbert, who hit the game-winning shot against Washington, added 12 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists in the championship game and was also named to the All-Tournament team.

Mulkey praised Morrow’s relentless style of play.

“She plays with a motor…Never stops hustling. Never stops rebounding. Never stops just going hard,” Mulkey said.

Mikaylah Williams had a bounce-back game after being held scoreless in their previous match-up, leading all scorers with 24 points on 7-14 shooting (4-7 from three-point range). Shayeann Day-Wilson tied her career-high with 9 assists and Flau’jae Johnson added 16 points on an efficient 5-7 shooting to contribute to LSU’s victory.

For NC State, Saniya Rivers led the way with 21 points on 8-19 shooting and 2 assists.

LSU dominated in multiple aspects of the game, outrebounding NC State by a whopping 20 rebounds and also scoring more points in the paint with a 28-18 advantage.

The Tigers will return home for their annual autograph game against NC Central on Sunday.

In the first quarter, NC State started strong with a 9-4 lead over LSU. The Tigers struggled with turnovers in the early minutes of the game, committing 5 in the first 7 minutes. However, they found their rhythm late in the quarter and were able to take a 17-14 lead thanks to key plays by Williams, Johnson, and Morrow. Both teams entered the media timeout tied at 17 apiece. LSU continued their offensive success in the second half, going on a 6-2 run and ultimately ending the first quarter with a comfortable 24-19 lead. Johnson and Morrow each had 6 points in the quarter, while Johnson shot a perfect 3-3 from the field. The Tigers shot an impressive 62.5 percent from the floor in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Williams scored the first points for LSU after grabbing an offensive rebound and converting two free throws. NC State responded with back-to-back three pointers to cut into LSU’s lead, but Morrow made a layup inside to maintain a two-possession advantage for the Tigers. They continued to build on their lead behind strong performances from Morrow and Gilbert, leading by as much as 13 points in the quarter. At halftime, LSU held a commanding 42-29 lead over NC State, dominating on the boards with a 25-6 rebounding advantage (18 of which were defensive rebounds).

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