The SEC Tournament certainly seemed to matter to LSU on Friday night even if it usually does not. Relatively speaking, of course.
LSU’s No. 3 seed women’s basketball team set a new program scoring record Friday night with a 101-87 SEC Tournament win over No. 11 seed Florida. The Tigers, now 28-4 overall, broke their previous tournament high of 99 points set against Tennessee in 1997.
First Team All-SEC forward Aneesah Morrow led the charge with a record-setting 36 points on 15-of-21 shooting and added 14 rebounds, marking her 27th double-double of the season. Mikaylah Williams started cold but wound up with 16 points and dished out eight assists for the Tigers, who made 22 of 28 free throws. The Tigers, playing without leading scorer Flau’jae Johnson due to a shin injury, relied on its collective offensive strength.
The Gators, who finished16-17 overall, saw Liv McGill lead their scoring effort with 16 points and six assists, while Jeriah Warren added 14. Florida struggled in the paint, outscored 46-28 by the Tigers, as LSU repeatedly attacked the low post. A key moment came when Kailyn Gilbert drew a foul on a twisting underhand layup with 21 seconds remaining in the third quarter, extending LSU’s lead by 15 points and stifling a Florida comeback.
LSU’s victory propelled the Tigers into the semifinals, where they are set to face the nation’s No. 1 team in No. 2 seed Texas Longhorns on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT, with coverage scheduled for ESPN2. The Longhorns advanced with a 70-63 win over Mississippi in the quarterfinals.
LSU coach Kim Mulkey was notably subdued on the bench following the unexpected death in her family. Assistant Bob Starkey assumed head coaching duties for the opening game.
“Kim Mulkey got to Greenville today,” noted former coach and television analyst Carolyn Peck on the SEC Network.
“On Monday, she got the news of an unexpected death in her family. She has been away, taking care of her family. She told me that she’s going to be on the bench, but she’s probably not going to be the Kim Mulkey that we’re used to seeing because she’s still dealing with that. Bob Starkey will be acting as the head coach. He will be up coaching the team. Kim told me when she first got a head coaching job at Baylor, she told them, ‘If I had to choose between basketball and family, it’s going to be about family.’ So, she’s been away, taking care of her family, going through this grief. It’s been Bob Starkey who has prepared this team for the SEC Tournament.”
LSU entered the tournament with a 12-4 conference record after a regular season finish that led to a coin flip to determine the No. 1 seed between South Carolina and Texas.
The Tigers, already overcoming adversity with Johnson sidelined until March Madness by a confirmed “shin inflammation,” kept their sights on advancing further in the tournament despite the setbacks.
Florida’s season ended with the loss as LSU prepares for its next big challenge against Texas.
Last month, LSU led Texas in Austin by as many as 13 points in the second half before losing, 65-58.
“I think tonight helped us prepare for that execution-wise,” LSU assistant coach Daphne Mitchell said, referring to playing against Texas and its notably intense defensive pressure which thwarted LSU’s offense late the last time the two teams met.
“I think we’re going to look to try and make sure we just send our screens and focus on knowing our plays. And do we have a couple of things that we’re going to work on and be able to make some pressure release plays.”
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