Alexis Morris Scores 31 as Tigers Improve to 21-0

LSU passes a big test in front of the largest crowd in PMAC history

Monday was a historic night for LSU athletics.

A Pete Maravich Assembly Center record 15,157 people packed into the PMAC to see the #3 Tigers host a surging Lady Vols team and Alexis Morris made sure all 15K got their moneys worth.

Morris scored a career-best 31 points and the Tigers scored their most impressive win of the season, beating Tennessee 76-68 and improving their record to 21-0.

“Well first of all, compliment the fans, goodness gracious,” Kim Mulkey said. “I don’t think I saw an empty seat, now I didn’t look long, but when I walked out, I was like ‘oh these people are standing,’ It was everything that young people need to experience in college. Thank you to all of the people who made that happen.

“I thought it was a game that was good for the SEC and women’s basketball. There are a lot of people who still have their question marks about us, and we’re good with that. We had those question marks, we still have them today. That just feeds our hunger. We just played a team that has played every good team out there this year.”

Angel Reese, a walking double-double, said the PMAC was “a winter wonderland in there with all the white” as the arena was whited out ahead of tonight’s marquee matchup.

Reese, by the way, had 18 points and 17 rebounds and said “tonight was not a good night for me.” If recording her 21st consecutive double-double and flirting with a 20-20 game is a bad night for Angel Reese, I pity the team that catches her on a good night. Reese also drew an and-1 opportunity off a steal and celebrated with this incredible finger licking taunt.

Turns out that taunting is good, actually.

With Reese having a “bad” night (her words, not mine) the burden fell on Alexis Morris who responded with a career best 31 points. Morris was 11-23 from the floor and was fearless driving to the rim, drawing nine free throw attempts.

“I had to be the player to stay poised because I’m experienced, and I’ve been here before,” Morris said. “I wouldn’t have had a great game without my teammates and Coach Mulkey and everyone around me. It was fun.”

Tennessee was LSU’s biggest hurdle left in front of the Tigers before February 12’s massive game against #1 South Carolina. The Tigers still need to get past a home game against Georgia (Thursday February 2), and survive a trip to College Station (Sunday February 5); but if they do the eyes of the women’s hoops world will be on the defending champion Gamecocks and these Tigers looking to stake their claim as the best team in the country.