Latest double-double by LSU’s Reese overwhelms Vandy

NASHVILLE – Angel Reese and Alexis Morris combined for 44 points as No. 5 LSU women’s basketball team (26-1, 14-1 SEC) took on Vanderbilt (12-17, 3-12 SEC) on Saturday at Memorial Gymnasium by a score of 82. -63 to clinch second place in the SEC.

Reese, the six-time and reigning SEC Player of the Week, scored 23 points and grabbed 18 rebounds for his 26th double-double of the season. Reese had a double at halftime for the tenth time this season.

Morris had 21 points and led the team with 5 assists. LaDahzia Williams recorded 13 points and 6-8 shooting and had 8 rebounds. Jasmine Carson made three triples in the win.

Vanderbilt’s Ciaja Harbison led the Commodores with 21 points, 5 three-pointers, and 5 rebounds. The only other Commodore to reach double figures was Jada Brown with ten.

The Tigers were dominant in the paint, outscoring the Commodores, 46-16 inside. Freshman forward Sa’Myah Smith played well off the bench for LSU, scoring 8 points to contribute to LSU’s points in the paint.

LSU jumped out to a 17-point lead at the half, but Vanderbilt went on a run early in the third quarter and came back within six before the Tigers extended the lead back out.

“I was happy with the first half,” said Coach Kim Mulkey. “In the first half we talked, communicated, helped the helper, helped and recovered – a lot of good things in the first half. Then you come out in the third quarter and it’s just the opposite.”

The Tigers have one regular season game remaining as they are scheduled to host Mississippi State on Sunday at 5pm CT on the SEC Network before getting ready for postseason action. With LSU’s win on Thursday and Tennessee’s loss against South Carolina, the Tigers have locked up the No. 2 spot in the conference for the second year in a row. LSU needs a win on Sunday and South Carolina falls against Georgia to take a share of the SEC title.

“Two years in a row, we’ve finished second in the league behind the National Champion (South Carolina),” Coach Mulkey said. “We have to admit it. I have to understand it. One day, our goal is to be a champion.”

During Thursday’s game, the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee announced the final Top-16 seeds before the March 12 Selection. The committee made the Tigers the No. 2 seed once again.

Three pointers from Morris and Poa boosted LSU to an 11-6 lead five minutes into Friday’s contest. LSU held within five points at the first media timeout despite connecting on just 1 of its final 7 shots. After the break, the Tigers went on a 7-0 run and held Vanderbilt scoreless for three minutes. Sacha Washington hit a turnaround jumper in the final seconds to make it a seven-point game and end the opening quarter with LSU holding an 18-11 lead.

LSU made three triples and held the Commodores to 1-8 from deep in the first ten minutes of action.

A minute into the second quarter three-pointer from Ryanne Allen put Vanderbilt within six. The Tigers responded with a 7-0 run in under a minute to take a 13-point lead over the Commodores. Just before a media timeout, Carson pulled off a three-pointer to extend LSU’s lead to 17 with 4:38 to play before halftime. The Tigers finished with an 11-4 run to make it 40-23 at halftime.

Reese finished the half with 10 points and 10 boards to secure his 26th double-double of the season. It also marked the 10th time he’s had a double-double at halftime this season.

The Tigers shot 46 percent from the field and 46 percent from beyond the arc in the game’s first 20 minutes. LSU out rebounded Vanderbilt by ten and scored half of its points from the paint.

Carson hit his third triple of the night to open the third and give LSU its first 20 points of the game. Vanderbilt would not go away so easily as the Commodores went on a 7-0 run in the middle of the quarter to get within 9 of LSU. The Tigers would reach the 50-point mark before a media timeout when Vandy trailed by 12. A three-pointer from the Commodores brought the margin to six with just under four minutes left in the third. The Tigers responded with a 10-0 run to extend their lead back to double digits and enter the fourth with a 60-45 lead.

The Tigers were outscored 22-20 in the third quarter and Vanderbilt forced 7 LSU turnovers compared to the Commodores 2, two in the final minute. Morris led the way with 8 points in the third, and Reese followed with 7. The duo scored the final 15 points in the third quarter.

LSU carried the momentum into the final quarter as it built on its lead by opening with an 8-2 run to take a 21-point lead. Vanderbilt made four three-pointers in the fourth but could not stop the Tiger offensive attack. Morris added 8 more points in the fourth and Reese and Williams scored six each. LSU went 4 of the last 4 from the field and finished with a 19-point victory.