Lady Tigers, Lady Vols battle Monday night in PMAC to stay atop the SEC
No. 1 South Carolina, No. 3 LSU and unranked Tennessee are the three remaining unbeaten teams in SEC play.
After Monday at 6 p.m. in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center when the Lady Tigers (20-0 overall, 8-0 SEC) host the Lady Vols (16-7, 8-0), there will be just two teams at top of the league.
The game, which expected to be a sellout, will be televised on ESPN2.
Even as the school record winning streak rolls on, LSU’s validity as a possible national championship contender has been poo-pooed by critics pointing to the Tigers’ weak non-conference schedule.
While South Carolina is 3-0 vs. non-conference ranked foes and Tennessee is 0-5 including a 84-67 home loss to No. 4 UConn Thursday night, LSU has played no ranked non-conference teams.
“I knew we had talent, I knew we brought in some really good transfers,” said Lady Tigers’ second-year head coach Kim Mulkey, who revamped her roster from last year’s 26-6 team by signing nine new players including five transfers. “But the most talented teams don't win. You got to work to be on the same page.
“We’ve taken a lot of criticism about our schedule, but it’s a schedule that allowed us to gain some confidence. The criticism doesn't affect us. Just get better. rebuild this program to an elite level. Get fans in the stands. beat somebody maybe along the way you weren't supposed to beat.
“We have that opportunity Monday, we're not supposed to beat Tennessee. They were picked number two in this league preseason. They have more depth than we do. So, it's going to be quite a challenge.”
Tennessee fourth-year head coach Kellie Harper, whose team lost to LSU 57-54 to end the regular season lasat year, laughed about Mulkey’s comment that the Lady Tigers are underdogs vs. Tennessee.
“Interesting take,” Harper said in her Saturday media teleconference.
Harper knows her team’s first defensive priority vs. the Lady Tigers is LSU forward Angel Reese. The 6-3 sophomore transfer from Maryland, the SEC’s leading scorer (23.7 ppg) and rebounder (15.5 rpg), has a school-record 20 consecutive double-doubles.
“Everyone's had a difficult time trying to slow her down,” Harper said of Reese. “She does a great job of getting good position, not just in their offense but on the boards.
“Just the way she moves with her body, the way she's just strong, the way she gets those offensive boards get you in a bad position and then you foul even if it's accidental. She has a knack for the ball and she's long.”
As SEC play has progressed, opponents have taken a more physical approach to defending Reese hoping she’ll lose her focus and cool. They’re trying harder to get Reese in foul trouble as quick as possible because it changes the dynamic of an LSU offense that leads the nation in scoring average (88.2 ppg).
“I’ve been able to see it (physical play) early, so I need that going into these big games,” Reese said. “My teammates and our dream team (LSU’s all-male practice squad) push me hard to make sure I’m ready. Tennessee is a big crew, a big team.”
Reese is the Lady Tigers’ centerpiece, but she’s getting more and more help as SEC play progresses.
In LSU’s 69-51 win at Alabama a week ago when Reese was held to 14 points and 14 rebounds, graduate transfers Jasmine Carson (West Virginia) and LaDazhia Williams (Missouri) stepped forward. Carson scored 20 points including 4 of 8 3-pointers while Williams had 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Senior point guard Alexis Morris (12.7 ppg) has been tough in clutch situations as has freshman guard Flau’jae Johnson (13.8 ppg), who had 19 points and hit 4 of 4 free throws in the final seconds to clinch a 79-76 win over Arkansas.
The Lady Tigers will need all hands-on deck vs. Tennessee. The Lady Vols have won nine of their past 10 games and 14 of their last 17.
Rickea Jackson, a Mississippi State transfer who led the Bulldogs in scoring the last three years, leads the Vols in scoring (17.8 ppg) and is second in rebounding (5.7 rpg) coming off the bench.
Jordan Horston is UT's second-leading scorer (15.7) and leading rebounder (6.9). She tied her season high of 27 points against UConn. Horston is averaging a double-double against teams in the Top 25 with 23 ppg. and 10.3 rpg.
"I don't know how they're not a top 25 team," Mulkey said of Tennessee. "They have everything you need to be very good. They are a matchup nightmare. They've played enough games against the best, so coming in here in front of the crowd we expect to have will not be a big deal to them."