LSU is headed back to the Elite Eight for a third straight season. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
(Steph Chambers via Getty Images)
Aneesah Morrow almost single-handedly kept LSU in it on Friday night.
Thanks to her huge outing, and a perfect finish for the team at Spokane Arena in Washington, the Tigers are headed back to the Elite Eight.
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Morrow led the Tigers to a comeback 80-73 win over NC State in their Sweet 16 matchup on Friday. She dropped 30 points and 19 rebounds and shot 12-of-25 from the field, which accounted for more than a third of the team’s made field goals. It was her second-highest scoring night of the season, save for a 36-point performance in the SEC tournament against Florida, and her best night in the NCAA tournament of her career.
LSU took an early 11-point lead on Friday night, but the Tigers scored just two points in the final three minutes of the opening quarter to leave the door open. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter, though, when the Wolfpack finally pulled back into it. They opened the final period on a 20-13 burst to get back out in front, and it seemed like they were going to run away with the win.
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But in the end, it was Mikayla Williams who sealed the deal for LSU. Williams scored eight points in what turned out to be a quick 10-4 run to suddenly put the Tigers back on top. She sank a clutch layup after a Kailyn Gilbert block on the other end to put the Tigers back in the lead, and then Sa’Myah Smith hit a pair of free throws to push their lead to three.
From there, the Tigers held on and hit several free throws down the stretch to seal their seven-point win and a return trip to the Elite Eight. LSU ended up finishing the game on a 10-0 run.
Zoe Brooks led NC State with 21 points and five assists. Zamareya Jones added 13 points off the bench, and Aziaha James added 12 points. They were the only three NC State players to hit double figures.
Sa’Myah Smith added 20 points and 11 rebounds to go with Morrow’s 30-piece for LSU. Williams finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists, too. The Tigers went just 3-of-12 from behind the arc as a team, but they out-rebounded NC State by 15.
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Morrow is now just the second SEC player to put up 30 points and 15 rebounds in an NCAA tournament game in the last 25 years. Former LSU star Angel Reese is the other to pull that feat off. It’s also Morrow’s 30th double-double of the season.
The Tigers will now advance to the Elite Eight for the third straight season. They’ll take on either No. 1 UCLA or No. 5 Ole Miss in that game on Sunday afternoon to close out the Spokane 1 region. The Bruins and the Rebels will wrap up Friday’s slate of Sweet 16 games.
