Inside game sends LSU to 2nd round
GREENVILLE 2 REGION LSU 73, HAWAII 50
BATON ROUGE — A dynamic and prolific All-America power forward like Angel Reese can cover up for some flaws.
Take ice-cold perimeter shooting, for example.
LSU missed 13 of 14 three-pointers, but Reese had 34 points and 15 rebounds, and the third-seeded Tigers defeated No. 14 seed Hawaii 73-50 on Friday night in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
“I’ve always been blessed to have good post play,” said LSU Coach Kim Mulkey, who won a national title as Baylor’s coach in 2012 with Brittney Griner at center. “I’ve never had to coach a team that jacks [three-pointers] up and shoots 30-plus a game. How many of these teams ever win national championships? Men or women? They may in the pros … but it’s a different game at the pro level.”
Flau’Jae Johnson scored 10 for LSU (29-2), which raced to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and maintained a comfortable lead most of the way.
The Tigers advanced to a second-round match-up on Sunday with sixth seeded Michigan (23-9), a 71-59 winner over 11 seed UNLV earlier Friday. Reese, an All-America forward, was a force in the paint while registering her 29th double-double this season, and also was effective defending on the perimeter. She was 13 of 20 shooting, hit 8 of 12 free throws and also had three blocks and three steals.
Reese looked unfazed when multiple defenders on her. Help defenders were often late on her explosive cuts and drives to the hoop anyway. She was also shifty and creative enough to score when the lane got crowded, exemplified by her spinning drive that set up a scoop shot off the glass as she was fouled.
LSU outscored Hawaii 44-16 in the paint and outrebounded the Rainbow Wahine 40-33.
Kallin Spiller and Daejah Phillips each scored 13 for Hawaii (18-15).
UTAH 103, GARDNER-WEBB 77
33 SALT points, LAKE 8 rebounds CITY — Alissa and Pili 8 assists tallied to power second-seeded Utah past 15th-seeded Gardner-Webb.
Jenna Johnson added 20 points and five assists for the Utes (26-4). Pili and Johnson combined to make 22 of 31 shots as the Bulldogs struggled to keep the duo from relentlessly attacking the basket.
Gardner-Webb (29-5) had a 21-game winning streak snapped and fell to 0-3 against Power 5 opponents this season. Jhessyka Williams scored 20 points for the Bulldogs.
MICHIGAN 71, UNLV 59
points added BATON 18 and points, ROUGE 10 rebounds, and — sixth-seeded Emily Maddie Kiser had Nolan Michigan 18 the Rebels’ beat 11th-seeded 22-game winning UNLV, streak. snapping Leigha Brown scored 17 points for Michigan (23-9), which had lost three of its previous four games.
Guard Laila Phelia, wearing a brace on her left knee and playing in her just her third game since missing seven with a leg injury, exerted her influence on the game defensively, grabbing a career-high 11 rebounds to go with her eight points — less than half of her scoring average of 16.9.
UNLV (31-3) came up one short of the longest winning streak in program history. Its Mountain West Tournament title victory had tied a mark reached previously in the 1978-79 and 1989-90 seasons.
PRINCETON 64, N.C. STATE 63
scored three-pointer seconds SALT 22 LAKE remaining, points, of CITY the including to — game lift Grace 10th-seeded with her Stone fifth 4.7 Princeton Carolina State. to a thrilling victory over North Kaitlyn Chen, who also scored 22 points, made a three-pointer with 55 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to 63-61 and then Madison St. Rose and Stone both came up with steals in the final minute to give the Tigers a chance.
On the North Carolina State’s final possession, the Tigers created chaos, as they had all game long, and knocked the ball loose to prevent the seventh-seeded Wolfpack from getting a shot off.