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The last time Kim Mulkey and her Tigers faced Tennessee, it ended with a two-point loss in the Southeastern Conference Tournament.
This time, however, LSU went to Knoxville and earned a 75-60 victory.
The Tigers were forced to adapt. The keys to Tennessee’s victory were limiting LSU in the paint and keeping the Tigers to a minimum at the foul line. In the first half the Volunteers achieved it.
With Tennessee getting within striking distance on several occasions in the second half, LSU was forced to extend its lead in small pieces to stay ahead and win the game.
LSU finished 29 of 88 (33%) as a team and 6 of 15 (40%) on 3-pointers.
Hailey Van Lith kept LSU ahead in the second half
Van Lith finished with a team-high 26 points, the most points he has scored since transferring to LSU.
The transfer guard from Louisville, Kentucky, was 9 of 18 from the field and 4 of 5 from three to go along with seven rebounds and three assists.
But Van Lith’s scoring production was needed more in the second half as Tennessee began to gain momentum. He scored 16 of his 26 points in the second half and made two of his four 3-pointers in the second half.
“Hailey has taken a lot of criticism and it needs to stop. She’s learning a new position,” Mulkey said. “She made great shots when we needed them.”
Van Lith seemed to have a perfect balance between playing the point, which is an adjustment from where he used to play at Louisville, and also playing his game. While Van Lith was able to distribute the ball, he also took on the responsibility of providing scoring efficiency when the team needed it.
LSU’s fourth quarter surge
Van Lith helped LSU build its own momentum after being outscored in the third quarter. The Tigers outscored Tennessee 27-15 in the fourth quarter, shooting 45.5% from the field and 50% from three.
Mikaylah Williams also helped in the fourth quarter. He finished the game with 15 points, five rebounds and five assists, going 7 of 18 from the field and 1 of 5 from three. Six of his 15 points came in the fourth quarter.
Flau’jae Johnson was scoreless behind the 3-point line, but still made an impact with nine points, seven rebounds and three assists. Five of his nine points came in the fourth quarter.
Angel Reese was contained until she wasn’t.
Tennessee’s priority was containing Angel Reese both in the paint and at the foul line. In the first half the Volunteers did it.
But Reese found a window in the second half and took advantage.
He finished the game with a double-double of 11 points and 16 rebounds, going 4 of 19 from the field and 3 of 6 from the foul line. Of his 11 points, eight came in the second half.
It took just over seven minutes of the second quarter for Reese to get on the board, a jumper that came from outside the key zone. Reese first appeared at the foul line just under two minutes into the second quarter, where he made one of two free throws.
Much of this is attributed to Tennessee center Tamari Key and her defensive efforts in the paint. Key finished with 10 points and five rebounds.
“Tamari Key is pretty tall. We knew she would be protecting Angel,” Mulkey said. “The size of her altered the shots.”
Although Tennessee contained Reese’s scoring, his rebounding presence always remained forceful. Reese grabbed 16 of LSU’s 57 rebounds as a team.
Aneesah Morrow stepped up as much as possible given Tennessee’s efforts to control LSU’s scoring in the paint. She finished with eight points and 13 rebounds.
Tennessee’s great third quarter
The Volunteers’ scoring came to life in the third quarter, when they cut LSU’s lead to just two points in the third quarter. Tennessee outscored the Tigers 19-10 in the third quarter, where LSU went 4 of 18 as a team.
“In the third, we lost our composure a little bit,” Mulkey said. “But Tennessee made us lose our composure. When you’re down, you play a little harder.”
However, Tennessee finished the game shooting 31% from the field and just 16% from three. Of the team’s 18 three-point attempts, they made three.
In addition to its lack of 3-point shooting, Tennessee also had 10 turnovers compared to LSU’s seven. LSU outscored Tennessee 21-8 in fast break points and 12-3 in points off turnovers.
Obstacles like these stood in Volunteer’s way of supporting its third-quarter surge.
Rickea Jackson, who is projected to be a top pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft, finished with 16 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Of her 16 points, six of them came in the third quarter.
Tess Darby scored nine points, shooting 3 of 6 from the field and 2 of 5 from three.
Jasmine Powell added eight points along with six rebounds and seven assists, and Sara Puckett added seven points and eight rebounds.
Who is the next one?
The Tigers will remain on the road and travel to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs on Thursday.
CT from Stegman Coliseum and will be televised live on ESPN2.
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