Bruins preparing for everything LSU brings
The secondseeded UCLA women's basketball team will face a team with a powerful offense and a big personality Saturday in its NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game against defending national champion LSU in Albany, New York.
Forward Angel Reese (6foot-3) and guard Aneesah Morrow (6-1) each have more than 20 double-doubles this season for thirdseeded LSU (27-6). Reese has recorded a double-double in 14 consecutive games
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and has recorded eight in her fourth year in the NCAA Tournament.
She's also gone viral on social media for her competitiveness and in-game actions. For example, she waved goodbye to Middle Tennessee State player Anastasiia Boldyreva, who was fouled out by Reese on Sunday in their second-round game.
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“There's a lot going on down there in Baton Rouge,” UCLA guard Kiki Rice said. “It's good for women's basketball, the attention that they're bringing. Kim Mulkey's built a great program. But I also think we can't get distracted by that and can't get distracted by everything else they bring to the game. It's basketball at the end of the day.”
The Tigers exuded confidence even before winning the national title last year in Mulkey's second season. The scout team players for UCLA (27-6) were instructed to talk trash in the practices leading up to the first game between the teams since 2011.
“Each team has a personality and we want to play within our personality,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “Our job is to get ourselves ready to play our best and that may look different from LSU, but we're not going
to let anything they do take us out of the mental focus of us playing at our best the way we like to do it.”
Here's a scouting overview of the Tigers before Saturday's matchup with UCLA:
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP
G: SO Flau'jae Johnson, 5-foot-10, 14.4 ppg, 38.1% 3FG, 49.7 FG%, 5.3 rpg, 74 steals
F: JR Angel Reese, 6-foot3, 18.7 ppg, 13.2 rpg, 71 assists, 56 steals
G: JR Aneesah Morrow, 6-foot-1, 16.5 ppg, 10 rpg, 91 steals
G: FR Mikaylah Williams, 6-foot, 14.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 93 assists
G: GR Hailey Van Lith, 5-foot-7, 11.8 ppg, 82.7 FT%, 112 assists
BENCH NOTABLES
F: SO Sa'Mayah Smith, 6-foot-2, 11.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 66.0 FG%
C: FR Aalyah Del Rosario, 6-foot-6, 4.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 54.1 FG%, 39 steals
LAST GAME
LSU outperformed Middle Tennessee State offensively
and defensively in the second half after falling behind at halftime of its second-round game Sunday. Reese recorded her 14th consecutive double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
Van Lith took the lead defensively and guarded MTSU sharpshooter Savannah Wheeler while the Tigers limited the Blue Raiders to two 3-pointers in the second half.
POINTS OF STRENGTH
Aggressive scoring: LSU is within the top five teams in the nation in scoring offense, scoring margin and offensive rebounds per game. Six players average 11 points or more per game and, as a team, the Tigers shoot 46.5% from the field.
Getting under opponents' skin: LSU has drawn attention for its trash-talking nearly as often as its play this season. Three MTSU players fouled out in the Tigers' second-round game and LSU was able to score 26 points on free throws.
POINTS OF WEAKNESS
Playing in the paint:
LSU's defense is physical, but doesn't spread its opponents out. If UCLA can use its size to control the paint and area beneath the rim, it could lead to quick baskets.
Depth: The Tigers have six players who can score at the top of the stat sheet, but there's a dramatic dropoff after that. The Bruins, who have a battle-tested bench, can gain an edge if they force LSU to work for all four quarters.
KEYS FOR UCLA
Battle on the boards: LSU is No. 2 in the country with a 13.1 rebounding margin, and only UCLA is better. The Bruins have outrebounded opponents by 14.2 boards and have implemented additional rebounding drills this week in practice.
Starting fast: The Bruins trailed Creighton by 10 points in the second quarter of their second-round game. The Bluejays jumped out to an early lead by attacking the basket in transition and without hesitation before the Bruins settled down for the 67-63 victory.
BASEBALL
MLB
MLB:
Announced a unanimous approval on the sale of the Baltimore Orioles to a new ownership group led by control person David Rubenstein.
American League
HOUSTON ASTROS:
Claimed RHP Penn Murfee off waivers from Atlanta. Placed RHP Kendall Graveman on the 60-day IL.
Placed SS Taylor Walls, 2B Jonathan Aranda and OF Jonny Deluca on the 10-day IL. Recalled 3B Austin Shenton from Durham (IL). Traded RHP Burch Smith to Miami for cash.
Optioned RHPs Zach Pop and Yariel Rodriguez to Buffalo (IL).
TAMPA BAY RAYS:
TORONTO BLUE JAYS:
National League
CINCINNATI REDS:
Placed CB T.J. Friedl and SS Matt McLain on the 10-day IL. Recalled OF Bubba Thompson from Louisville (IL). Placed RHP Ian Gibaut and LHPs Nick Lodolo, Sam Moll, Brandon Williamson and Alex Young on the 15-day IL, retroactive to March 25.
Agreed to terms with C Will Smith on a 10-year contract.
Placed RHPs Sonny Gray and Keynan Middleton, LHP Drew Rom on the 15-day IL, OF/INF Tommy Edman, OFs Lars Nootbaar and Dylan Carlson on the 10-day IL.
DODGERS:
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS:
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Scoring Average
G FG
Doncic, DAL 63 Antkonmpo, MIL 67 G-Alexandr, OKC70 Durant, PHO 65 Booker, PHO 58 Brunson, NY 66 Tatum, BOS 67 Curry, GS 65 Fox, SAC 64 Edwards, MIN 68 Young, ATL 51 Jokic, DEN 69 Maxey, PHI 63 727 768 756 657 562 645 618 573 621 634 418 709 566
FT Pts Avg
439 2137 482 2052 528 2131 334 1791 337 1587 341 1808 379 1827 274 1735 278 1697 359 1798 339 1344 314 1802 301 1624 33.9 30.6 30.4 27.6 27.4 27.4 27.3 26.7 26.5 26.4 26.4 26.1 25.8