No. 7 LSU pulls away from Ole Miss

Published 8:33 am Monday, January 8, 2024

OXFORD (AP) — Angel Reese scored 21 points and Mikaylah Williams made four 3-pointers in a 20-point effort in No. 7 LSU’s 84-73 women’s basketball victory over Ole Miss on Sunday.

The Tigers (15-1, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) put it away with a 12-2 run to start the fourth quarter against the Rebels (11-4, 1-1).

“We’re not a polished product, but we can score the ball,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said. “We scored 84 points and really I didn’t think we had a great game.”

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Reese had 10 rebounds and four assists. The freshman Williams made 4 of 5 3-pointers in her first SEC road game to help push defending national champion LSU’s winning streak to 15.

Flau’jae Johnson scored 16 points. Aneesah Morrow had 13 points and eight rebounds, just missing her 10th straight double-double.

Hailey Van Lith had 13 points and four assists but also committed seven turnovers, picking up her fourth foul late in the third quarter..

Marquesha Davis scored a season-high 24 points to lead Ole Miss, to go along with seven rebounds and four steals. Madison Scott had 13 points and eight assists, going 1-of-8 from the floor while making 11 of 13 free throws. Snudda Collins scored 12 points.

“They were a really tough match-up,” Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said. “I can’t wait to see what they’re going to look like in March. But their championship residue, it seeps out of their veins, and they definitely have a persona about them, a swagger about them that carries them throughout.”

The Tigers rode hot 3-point shooting and a dominant second quarter to a 50-37 halftime lead. Williams made all three of her 3-point attempts and the team was 7-of-8.

LSU cooled off after that, but still answered every Ole Miss challenge.

Morrow hit a pair of layups and Reese added another post basket to start LSU’s fourth-quarter surge. The Rebels came in allowing just 52.4 points a game and allowed a season high.

LSU outscored the Rebels 24-14 in the second quarter after taking the lead with Van Lith’s buzzer-beating 3 to end the first. The Rebels made a big run to start the first half, scoring the first seven points and taking the lead with a 16-2 opening run.

LSU answered right back with Reese hitting two free throws and Williams getting a steal and quick 3-pointer to start a 9-0 run.

“I almost passed out with disgust at halftime with our defensive performance,” McPhee-McCuin said.