Well, the game itself may have not been the most elite basketball we’ve ever watched, but it’s been a great tournament for both Miami and LSU as they faced off in the Elite Eight. The No. 9 seed Miami team has had an incredible run in the tournament, booting out both No. 1 seed Indiana AND No. 4 seed Villanova to make it to the Elite Eight.
It would have been quite fun (and chaotic) to see Miami beat out yet another top-seeded team to make it to the Final Four, but tonight was not their night — it was Angel Reese’s.
LSU and head coach Kim Mulkey have been on a tear this season, being one of the top-ranked teams in the country. They entered this tournament as a No. 3 seed, led by a player who (until recently) was in talks for some major national awards. Despite becoming ineligible for some of those awards, Angel Reese has been on fire this year.
This game as a whole was not an offensive masterclass. By halftime, the score was only 26-20 for LSU. Yet, Reese proved why she is one of the best players in the country. In a situation where this team could have joined Indiana and Villanova in Miami’s wake due to a poor offensive performance, Reese saved them.
Her 13 points and 18 rebounds were what pushed LSU over the top in this game. Joined by Alexis Morris’ 21 points, these two led LSU to the Final Four. They were the only two LSU players who scored in double digits.
For Miami, the only player to score more than four points in the entire game was Jasmyne Roberts with 22 points. It seemed like they just lost their energy after some incredible games that came down to the final seconds in earlier rounds. They deserve SO much credit for coming into the tournament and making a splash against top-seeded teams. Today was just not their day.
The rest of the teams’ stats were…interesting. Miami beat LSU in field goal percentage, 31.6 percent to 30.2 percent. LSU beat Miami in 3-point percentage, eight percent to zero percent. Miami had 18 turnovers, but LSU wasn’t far behind with 13. LSU got through, but it wasn’t pretty. Yet, a win is a win, and LSU will now have to look forward to their next game.
LSU will have to step it up in their Final Four match. They will face the winner of Ohio State vs. Virginia Tech. Ohio State pulled off the upset when they beat UConn in the Sweet Sixteen, very much helped by their full court press defense. Virginia Tech has sharp-shooting Georgia Amoore and a skilled big in Elizabeth Kitley. Whoever LSU gets,…
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