By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
The No. 6 LSU women’s basketball team closed out the regular season with a 72-63 win over Mississippi State on Sunday afternoon inside Humphrey Coliseum.
Junior guard Mikaylah Williams recorded her third consecutive double-double, pouring in a season-high 26 points and grabbing 15 rebounds.
Williams helped steady the offense after the Tigers opened the game shooting just 4-of-14 from the field. She said she knew it was time to take control.
“I think it was just me realizing that I had to come along because Mississippi State was playing really good basketball and I had to get started and be that spark so the rest of the team could come on,” Williams said after the win.
LSU also received a strong performance from junior guard MiLaysia Fulwiley, who finished with 16 points, four assists and a rebound. Head coach Kim Mulkey said Fulwiley has been playing with renewed confidence since helping fuel the Tigers’ 13-point comeback win at Ole Miss two weeks ago.
“She’s just extremely quick and when a lot of things break down, she can improvise and do some things to get by peoplem,” Mulkey said after the win. “And sometimes she might throw that sucker up in the stands, but then she may come back and do something spectacular. So, she’s playing with a lot of confidence and what you want to do is you want all of them to be playing with a slot of confidence as you head into the postseason.”
The Tigers (26-4, 12-4 Southeastern Conference) seized control in the fourth quarter. Fulwiley scored in the paint to cap a 4-0 run, extending LSU’s lead to 58-47. Moments later, Williams buried a three-pointer to push the advantage to 66-51 with 7:00 remaining, giving LSU breathing room.
Mississippi State (18-12, 5-11 SEC) knocked down a midrange jumper to cut the deficit to 10 with 2:19 to play, but it was too little, too late. The Bulldogs were unable to mount a comeback as LSU outscored them 18-16 in the final period.
Mississippi State opened the second half on a 6-1 run, trimming LSU’s lead to 36-28 with 7:10 remaining in the third quarter. The Bulldogs pulled within one after Joyner was assessed a technical foul following an and-one conversion.
LSU’s struggles continued as Mississippi State took a 39-38 lead with 4:44 left after knocking down a pair of free throws. Fulwiley answered with a fast-break bucket to put the Tigers back in front, 43-41. The teams traded baskets down the stretch, but LSU carried a 54-47 lead into the fourth quarter. Williams and Richard each scored seven points in the period.
Joyner tied the game at 14 with a layup to open the second quarter. Moments later, Fulwiley came up with a steal and went coast-to-coast for a layup, giving LSU a 16-14 lead — its first of the game. Fulwiley caught fire from there. She knocked down a three-pointer and followed with a steal and layup on consecutive possessions, extending LSU’s lead to 31-18 with 3:05 remaining before halftime. The Tigers carried a 35-22 advantage into the break after holding the Bulldogs to just 3-of-14 shooting in the period.
Mississippi State opened Sunday’s contest with a three-pointer from the top of the key. LSU struggled to take care of the ball early, committing five turnovers in the first seven minutes. The Bulldogs capitalized with a 7-0 run to build a 12-3 lead with 3:00 remaining in the first quarter.
But the Tigers weren’t going to go away that easy. LSU closed the period on a 9-2 run, capped by Williams scoring over a double team in the paint to cut Mississippi State’s lead to 14-12 heading into the second quarter. LSU’s 12 first-quarter points were tied for its second-lowest total in SEC play this season.
LSU will have time to rest before traveling to Greenville for the SEC Tournament later this week. The Tigers will play their first game on Friday against an opponent to be determined at 1:30 p.m. at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
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