Record smashing performance: Six players in double figures lead No. 7 LSU to comfortable win over McNeese

LSU freshman Aalyah Del Rosario (23) drives for a layup against McNeese in Tuesday's 113-44 win over McNeese. Del Rosario had careers highs in points with 27 and rebounds with 10. PHOTO BY: LSU athletics

The No. 7 LSU women’s basketball team extended its winning streak to 10 with a dominating performance that took down a pair of school records in the process.

The Tigers’ 133-44 victory Tuesday over McNeese set a program record for points scored in a game. They also established a school mark with an 89-point margin of victory, surpassing the previous milestone of 76 points before a crowd of 10,653 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Six players scored in double figures for LSU (10-1) with three recording double-doubles. It was the fifth 100-point performance for the Tigers, who return home at 2 p.m. Sunday to host Northwestern State.

Freshman Aalayah Del Rosario scored 17 of her career-high 27 points and made 7 of 9 shots in the second half to go with 10 rebounds. Fellow freshman Mikaylah Williams, on 11 of 15 shooting, scored 11 of her 26 points in the second half, junior Angel Reese scored 21 points – including 7 of 9 shooting at the free throw line – and pulled down 11 rebounds, junior Aneesah Morrow had 18 points and 10 rebounds, sophomore Flau’jae Johnson 16 points and freshman Angelica Velez had 10 of her points in the second half.

“You saw a couple things tonight that Aalyah couldn’t do earlier in the year,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said. “She’s very proud of herself. And when you do things like that and you see results, the first thing that happens is you them become really, really confident.”

Williams had six assists with Johnson and Velez each adding five, and Reese keyed LSU’s 20-steal outage with six and Johnson with five.

The Tigers, who shot 58% (45 of 78) from the field, shot 75% (39 of 52) from the free throw line and scored 52 points off the 36 turnovers they forced.

The game was actually tied in the early stages of the first quarter at 10-10 on a 3-pointer from Boston Berry of McNeese.

LSU went on a 22-2 run, making all nine of its shots, to lead 32-12 after the first quarter. The Tigers shut out the Cowgirls (3-7), who were 0 of 7 in the quarter, 30-0 in the second quarter led by Del Rosario’s 10 points with Reese and Williams each adding eight points, to a commanding 62-12 lead at halftime.

“I told them at the half that we held them scoreless in the second quarter,” Mulkey said. “I told them then I’m not really sure I’ve ever been a part of that. And then I found out about that run, and you don’t think about it at the moment. I don’t know that I have been a part of that. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing – that is kind of crazy.”

LSU’s run reached 47-0 until Emilia Tenbock’s first goal at the 7:27 mark of the third, leaving LSU with a 68-16 advantage and ending McNeese’s near 20-minute scoring drought.

Johnson scored nine points, Williams eight and Morrow seven in the third quarter until LSU safely had all of its starters out of the game with a 111-31 cushion with 6:54 to play.

“For me, it’s about progress,” Del Rosario said. “I’m in the best shape I’ve been. That’s what it’s all about for me.”

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Tiger Rag News Services

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