LSU’s Kim Mulkey Reacts to Aneesah Morrow’s heroics vs. Virginia in Angel Reese’s absence

Saturday marked the final match of the Cayman Islands Classic for the LSU women’s basketball team. Under the leadership of standout transfer Aneesah Morrow, the Tigers defeated Virginia 76-73.

Morrow, a formidable DePaul transfer, maintained his position on the court for the entire forty minutes, delivering two assists, sixteen rebounds, and 37 points.

The Tigers’ reserve made a meager eight-point contribution, while the remaining starting personnel combined to score a mere 31.

Kim Mulkey remarked, “That is among the proudest victories of my coaching career,” as reported by Reed Darcey of Nola.com.

“In light of the arduous conditions this team had to endure in order to secure victory, including players being asked to perform ill-suited positions and undertaking tasks that elicit discomfort, their performance was nothing short of courageous.”

The challenges faced by LSU were readily apparent, given their roster constraints. Sa’Myah Smith, Angel Reese, Kateri Poole, and Sa’Meek Smith were all absent; Smith suffered a knee injury against Niagara on Thursday.

Throughout the course of the competition, both teams passed the other 12 times and shared the lead 14 times.

In the fourth quarter, LSU ultimately took the lead with an 8-0 run, which was sparked by a layup by freshman center Aaliyah Del Rosario and continued by Morrow’s strategic pass, which resulted in a bucket for Mikayla Williams and a breakaway layup for herself. This sequence extended LSU’s lead to its greatest of the game.

In the final moments, Virginia reduced the deficit to three points but fell short when Sam Brunelle failed to make a crucial game-tying three-point attempt.

After scoring a season-high 28 points against Niagara, Morrow delivered an outstanding performance against Virginia. Mulkey lauded the leadership and experience of Aneesah Morrow, highlighting her pivotal contribution to multiple aspects of the event.

Mulkey stated, “I observed an accomplished collegiate athlete who paced our team in numerous categories today, including not only rebounding but also scoring.” “We required it simply.”

Hailey Van Lith, a transfer guard from Louisville, contributed 12 points in support of Morrow. Nevertheless, LSU’s backcourt tandem of Flau’jae Johnson and Tyrone Williams labored offensively, combining for a mere 12 points. Notwithstanding her challenges on the offensive end, Johnson recorded a career-high 15 rebounds.

Contributing to LSU’s victory was their effective free-throw shooting and rebounding, which helped to counteract Virginia’s 21-point advantage from three-point range. Although the 3-point shooting prowess of the Cavaliers kept them in the contest, they were unable to match LSU’s overall execution.

Due to the dwindling roster, Kim Mulkey utilized only seven players. The squad faced additional difficulties due to the absence of Angel Reese and Poole, both of whom were not in attendance in the Cayman Islands.

In anticipation, on November 30, the Tigers will travel to face No. 9 Virginia Tech.