BATON ROUGE, La. – In the final exhibition contest for the ninth-ranked LSU women’s basketball team, the Tigers downed its in-state opponent Loyola (N.O.), 119-54, Thursday night inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
LSU will return to the court for regular season action on Monday, Nov. 2, when the Tigers host Southeastern Louisiana at the Maravich Center. The matchup will be televised on SEC Network with Chuckie Kempf (pxp) and Christy Thomaskutty (analyst) calling the action. Fans can listen in to the LSU Sports Radio Network with Patrick Wright and Shaeeta Williams on the call.
Freshman Anna Minaeva saw her first action at the collegiate level with 54 seconds left in the first quarter. Minaeva finished her first game with 10 points and five rebounds, going 3-of-4 from the field while drawing five fouls that yielded 10 free throw chances (Minaeva converted on four attempts).
“I just want her on that floor every day, and she hasn't been for the last couple of weeks,” head coach Kim Mulkey said. “I can’t wait to get her on the floor tomorrow, get her in the film room, show her all the things, because the things that young lady does, she’s extremely basketball smart. She will ask questions and she will put her hand up. ‘I have a question,’ and she's going to ask it, and I like that. So that tells you she’s in tune with what’s going on, she’s not tuning you out because there’s a language barrier. She understands.”
LSU put nine players on the floor against the Wolf Pack and seven Tigers finished with double digits in scoring. Senior Mikaylah Williams led all scorers with 23 points, while adding five assists, two rebounds and three steals. The Tigers’ next best scorers included sophomore ZaKiyah Johnson (22), senior MiLaysia Fulwiley (16), freshman Lola Lampley (16), sophomore Grace Knox (12), senior Laila Reynolds (12) and Minaeva (10).
“I think we’re still gelling as a team,” Knox said. “Being able to run the floor and having Anna [Minaeva] back today, I feel like she's a big piece to our squad. I think just having the ability to get into rhythm and use our chemistry that we have off the court, on the court and watching it translate and showing us things we need to improve on as the season continues.”
LSU’s defense created 36 turnovers against Loyola, scoring 48 points off takeaways. The Tigers also blocked five shots, which included three emphatic swats from Knox. Fulwiley had eight of LSU’s 22 steals on the night, contributing to the Tigers success with forcing turnovers.
At the first media timeout, LSU led Loyola, 13-6, on a slow offensive start for both squads. Knox and Johnson led the Tigers in scoring early with four points apiece. LSU used a 13-2 after the quarter’s timeout to put the Tigers ahead by 18 at the end of the period. Williams led all scorers with eight points through the first 10 minutes.
In the second quarter, LSU continued to have offensive success, putting up 15 points to Loyola’s eight by the period’s media timeout with 5:31 remaining in the opening half. Lampley began the quarter with seven points after accounting for two of the Tigers’ 26 in the first quarter.
At the halftime break, LSU led the Wolf Pack, 61-20. Williams paced the Tiger scoring with 14 through the first 20 minutes. Not far behind her was Johnson and Fulwiley with 13 points each.
LSU worked to build on its advantage out of the locker room and at the quarter’s media timeout was ahead Loyola, 78-29. The Tigers would lead the Wolf Pack, 90-38, at the close of the third period and finished the game with a 119-54 victory.