Lady Tigers set school record with 16th straight win to open the season

The LSU 2022-023 women’s basketball team now owns the best start in school history.

Considering the No. 7 Lady Tigers have rarely been challenged this season, it seemed a foregone conclusion they would surpass the school record of 15 straight wins to open the year set by the 2002-03 team.

Unbeaten LSU won its 16th straight game with a 67-48 SEC Sunday afternoon road win at Kentucky.

“Whether you’re 16-0, whether you’re breaking records,” LSU second-year head coach Kim Mulkey said. “Just winning the next game always feels good.”

Sophomore center Angel Reese and freshman guard Flau’jae Johnson each scored 26 points, for the Tigers (16-0, 4-0 SEC) combining to outscore the Wildcats (8-8, 0-4 SEC) by themselves.

LSU’s defense held Kentucky to 34,5 percent from the field and forced 22 turnovers, offsetting the Tigers committing a season-high 29 turnovers.

“Why you love coaching this sport is you don't know when you're going to shoot 60 percent or 30 percent,” Mulkey said. “But what you do is you sell your team on their defense. You come to that huddle and say `Do y'all realize they didn't score a point the last six minutes of that quarter?’ Those are the things that I emphasize.”

LSU closed the first half on a 12-0 run, holding Kentucky scoreless the last 5½ minutes. Also, the Tigers ended the third quarter with a 15-1 burst in final five minutes.

Kentucky was led by guards Maddie Scherr and Robyn Benton with 22 and 11 points.

Johnson jumpstarted LSU’s offense with 8 second-quarter points on aggressive drives to the basket.

Reese, who recorded her 16th straight double-double (three shy of the school record), scored 18 of her points in the second half. While Kentucky held her to 5 of 14 field goal shooting, she drew 11 of UK’s 23 fouls and cashed in 16 of 17 free throws.

“I thought our start was just very good today,” Mulkey said. “We attacked, we scored, we executed. We did what we've been doing defensively.”

The Tigers play again on the road Thursday night for a 6 p.m. game at Missouri in Mizzou Arena. LSU returns home vs. Auburn next Sunday. Seimone Augustus’ statue will be unveiled prior to the game.