LSU Stun Miami to Reach NCAAW’s Final Four
Louisiana State University’s (LSU) Lady Tigers have advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament after clutching a hard-fought win over Miami, with a final score of 54-42.
All-American player Angel Reese was very impressive with 13 points and 18 rebounds.
The win means a lot for LSU as this is first time their women’s team has qualified for the Final Four since 2008. This comes on the back of head coach Kim Mulkey’s return to her home state in 2021 to lead LSU to glory, bringing with her an impressive track record.
Mulkey is a former player for Louisiana Tech, where she won two national titles and led her team to the Final Fours four times. She then went on to coach Baylor for 21 seasons, during which she led the team to four Final Fours and three national titles.
Last season, in her first year as head coach of LSU, she was picked as the Associated Press coach of the year after leading the team to 26 victories.
Another key addition to the LSU’s rooster was Reese – a former standout player at Maryland, who has lifted her game to the new heights and has worked wonders for her side.
She finished with a double-double in the game against Miami, her 32nd of the season, which is the best in the country.
Miami was a feel-good story of the season. They came back from a 17-point deficit in their opening game against Oklahoma State, and went on to stun the top side Indiana on their home floor, before sending Villanova and superstar Maddy Siegrist packing to advance and play LSU. It was the program’s first Elite Eight appearance.
But despite their impressive show, Miami was clueless to LSU’s powerful offense, led by Reese and Alexis Morris, who had 19 points in the game. Miami’s Jasmyne Roberts led the team with 22 points, but it took her 20 shots to get there. No other player scored more than 4 points.
LSU was in the 16 points lead right from the beginning. Miami staged a late push to cut it to eight, 43-35. The Hurricanes held the Tigers scoreless for over four minutes but couldn’t capitalize on the other end, allowing LSU to secure the victory.
The win against Miami has set up a Final Four matchup for LSU against another strong team, marking an exciting time for the Lady Tigers and their fans.
It remains to be seen whether they can go all the way and win their first national championship since 2008, but with Mulkey leading the team and Reese dominating on the court, anything is possible.
