WOMENS BASKETBALL
Louisiana State 106, Florida 66
BRETT MARTEL
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BATON ROUGE, La. - Aneesah Morrow had 18 points, 20 rebounds, two blocks and a steal, and No. 9 LSU snapped a two-game skid with a resounding 106-66 victory over Florida.
Hailey Van Lith and Mikaylah Williams each scored 21 points, and Angel Reese added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Tigers (19-4, 6-3 SEC), who raced to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and led by as many as 45 points in the second half.
LSU was looking to rediscover its dominant form after a surprising road loss last Monday night at unranked Mississippi State — a result that followed a disheartening Jan. 25 home loss to unbeaten and No. 1 South Carolina after the Tigers had led most of that game.
Flau’Jae Johnson scored 10 points to give all five starters at least that many. Morrow scored from all over the offensive end, complementing her putbacks and generally powerful play in the paint with a pair of 3s.
Aliyah Matharu led Florida (11-9, 2-6) with 16 points and five steals and Leilani Correa added 13 points.
After Florida opened with a 6-2 lead, LSU took control by scoring 10 straight in a span of 1:57 — part of a run that grew to 14 straight. The surge included a pair of transition jumpers by Williams and Johnson’s right-wing 3.
When Williams wasn’t scoring, Van Lith was hitting mid-range jumpers off screens, or Reese was scoring from the paint and at the foul line.
BIG PICTURE
Florida: The Gators struggled to stay with LSU on both ends. They shot 35.3% (24 of 68), allowed LSU to shoot 49.3% (37 of 75) and were outrebounded 59-34. ... Reserve forward Eriny Kindred fouled out in just 11 minutes on the court.
LSU: The Tigers avoided what would have been their first three-game losing streak since coach Kim Mulkey took over before the 2021-22 season. They have had just two two-game skids and never lost two straight last season, when they won the national title. ... Morrow had her team-leading 14th double-double in 23 games played, while Reese had her 13th in her 19th game played.
HONORING GUNTER
LSU honored the late Hall of Fame coach Sue Gunter, who won 422 games with the Tigers between 1983 and 2004, by placing her signature on the basketball court.
The halftime ceremony was attended by LSU women’s basketball alumni, including many players Gunter coached.
LSU assistant coach Bob Starkey, who also worked with Gunter, delivered a recorded message on the Pete Maravich Assembly Center video board.
“Coach Gunter planted seeds for LSU basketball, for collegiate women’s basketball, for USA basketball and for the WNBA,” Starkey said. “You look at all those things, and Sue Gunter’s fingerprints are on them.”
Gunter’s name now sits near the opposite sideline from that of former LSU men’s Dale Brown, who was honored similarly in 2022.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Louisiana State athletics press release
February 4, 2024
