2022 LSU Gumbo - Book - Page 20
Photos by Georgia Jones
There’s an old hockey saying that fits well with what
went down in the PMAC on March 21: “I went to a fight
and a basketball game broke out.”
The Pete Maravich Assembly Center was packed
as Baton Rouge gathered to watch the LSU women’s
basketball team play at home for the last time this season
— and maybe for the last time. Sadly, it was the latter as
LSU fell to Ohio State 79-64 in the second round, which
ended the former team’s tournament run this season.
The game was a story of three-point shooting, as it has
been in every loss for the Tigers this season. Ohio State
finished 10-22 from deep, making it hard for an LSU team
that doesn’t shoot well from deep to keep up. The Buckeyes
made more threes than LSU attempted. The team had a
weakness all season and the Buckeyes took advantage.
The officiating in this game was inconsistent to say the
least, making it a rough watch for fans. You could never
really tell what the call was going to be. There were calls
made in the first half that the fans begged for in the second
half and vice-versa. There were clear out-of-bounds calls
missed. The officials let the game go too far to a point
where it was closer to tackle football than anything else.
That, however, is not the main thing to look at when
seeing the final score. LSU had an abysmal night shooting
the ball, as they entered the fourth quarter shooting just
20
30.8% from the field. It’s hard to imagine a situation where
you win the game with that number. That number jumped
up to 36.8% by the end of the game, as LSU tried to get a
run going. It was just not enough.
This season should not and will not be remembered
for this loss, however. If you asked any LSU fan, player or
coach before the season if they thought they would make
it to the Round of 32, they would probably call you crazy.
The turnaround that this program saw in year one of Kim
Mulkey was truly unbelievable. The atmosphere brought to
the PMAC this season was incredible.
This program as a whole is just getting started, but sadly
it was the last time a lot of these Tigers will be suiting
up for the team. The efforts of Autumn Newby, Faustine
Aifuwa, Jailin Cherry, Awa Trasi, Ryann Payne and Khayla
Pointer will go down in school history as the start of
something new.
“This bunch jump started the program again,” Coach
Mulkey said about this group after the game. “They
revived it again. They gave everybody interest. I am forever
grateful for them.”
The arena was as alive as ever on Monday, despite the
big deficits. This was not a fluke. The rest of the SEC needs
to get used to seeing LSU in the tournament, and atop the
conference.