Morris, LSU’s 3-pointers lead takedown of UGA

Greenville, SC- No. 2 seed LSU (27-1, 15-1 SEC) proved too much for No. 7 seed Georgia, 83-66, in the quarterfinals of the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament on Saturday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

The Tigers dominated on both sides of the field, leading to over 38 minutes of the game and UGA to commit 14 turnovers.

Alexis Morris led the Tigers offense with 28 points, Flau’jae Johnson was just behind with 20 and eight rebounds.

Alisha Lewis was a key factor for the Bulldogs as she recorded her second career double-double. He led the way with 14 points and 11 of 17 assists.

LSU opened the game by taking heat from behind the arc. Morris lost three to lead the Tigers’ 12-3 charge.

When these two faced off on February 2, Morris did not score in the first half, but made his presence known in this game with nine points in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs responded to the run by forcing turnovers and attacking the paint to get the offense flowing, ending the quarter up 28-18. LSU’s 28 points are the most in the first quarter against an SEC opponent this season.

Lewis helped Georgia regain its momentum to start the second half with a 10-4, 32-28 run, dishing out two assists and knocking down three.

At the 4:23 mark, there was a 40-minute delay due to severe weather in the area with LSU leading 42-32.

After rewarming, both teams struggled to find a rhythm as they scored just seven points before entering the first half, LSU leading 46-35.

Johnson, the SEC Freshman of the Year, caused the Bulldogs trouble through the first half as he scored 11 points, shooting 3-for-3 from distance.

The Bulldogs had no shortage of bench production as they outscored LSU’s bench 24-0 in the first half.

Both teams’ offensive lulls continued into the third quarter, but Morris continued to be efficient offensively, scoring 11 points in the quarter. Johnson ended the third with a bang for the Tigers when he drilled a three-pointer with the clock down, 73-49.

LSU matched the program record of 11 three-pointers in an SEC Tournament game, previously accomplished vs. Florida in 1995.

Morris matched his career-high five three-pointers and was just three points shy of matching his career-high.

Lewis became the first Georgia player to record back-to-back 10-assist games in the past 20 seasons.

Until Next Time
LSU will face the winner of Game 10 between 3-seed Tennessee and 14-seed Kentucky in the semifinals of the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament on Saturday, 25 minutes after the conclusion of the Ole Miss-South Carolina game.

Georgia (21-10, 9-7 SEC) was eliminated from the tournament.