LSU head coach Kim Mulkey knows her the record and reputation of her No. 5 ranked team grows with each victory.
"You’re gonna get everybody’s best shot," Mulkey said after LSU's 31-point fourth quarter boosted the Lady Tigers to a 90-79 SEC road win at Florida Sunday afternoon. "We’re not a hidden commodity any more. We’re relevant. I’ve got kids all over social media that these young people come on the road to see."
Angel Reese and Jasmine Carson turned in a pair of 25-point performances for LSU (25-1 overall, 13-1 SEC). LaDazhia Williams added 15 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.
Carson's career-high point-total included 7 of 14 3-pointers, the most 3-pointers made by a Lady Tiger since Pietra Gay had 7 in 1997.
After Florida (14-13, 3-11) cut LSU's lead to 9 points at the end of third quarter, Reese scored 11 points and Flau’jae Johnson scored 10 of her game-total 12 points in the fourth period when the Lady Tigers shot 68.4 percent (13 of 19 from the field).
"I challenged them," Mulkey said of what she told her team in the huddle between the third and fourth quarters. "It wasn't about X's and O's. I turned the heat up on them."
LSU’s 47-31 halftime lead was the product of the Lady Tigers’ 20-8 second quarter that started with a 10-0 run and ended with a 10-2 burst.
Reese scored 6 points on three layups and Carson had 9 points on a trio of 3-pointers in the two combined rallies.
The third quarter was a disaster for the Lady Tigers. LSU missed its first 7 shots and Reese was held scoreless in the period as she sat out the final 2:51 saddled with three fouls including a needless technical foul for trash-talking after blocking a shot.
Finally, back-to-back 3-pointers by Carson and Last -Tear Poa kept LSU from completely falling apart as the Tigers’ 16-point halftime cushion was reduced to 59-50 by the end of the third.
The Lady Tigers got back in rhythm, starting the fourth quarter on 14-7 run with Reese scoring 9 points.