After a few adjustments, Kim Mulkey has LSU women’s basketball ready to peak at the right time
Coming off back to back losses, LSU women’s basketball found a way to right the ship against Florida on Sunday afternoon.
Kim Mulkey’s LSU squad isn’t used to dropping two in a row. It’s only happened twice now since her arrival in Baton Rouge.
Despite the 19-4 record, Mulkey’s expressed frustration at points this year. Her team hasn’t shown the same level of consistency it did last year, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
But on Sunday, LSU once again looked like a team ready to compete for a national title.
LSU held Florida to just 17.4% from three-point range. That was LSU’s best number in conference play all year, and second-best overall.
That was critical for a unit coming off its worst three-point defending performance of the year when it allowed Mississippi State to shoot over 52% from downtown.
In the prior loss to South Carolina, LSU struggled to rebound down the stretch. That improved on Sunday too, with LSU posting its second-best rebound rate in a conference game all year.
Following the game, Mulkey said there were a few things LSU had been focused on fixing.
“Half-court defense and helping each other and being aggressive. We focused on transition defense and we focused on transition offense,” Mulkey said, “And I thought we were better in all three today.”
Mulkey wanted to see more fight from her team. It’s something she harped on after the opening loss to Colorado when she said she’ll live with poor shooting, but what she won’t have is a team that doesn’t show grit and fight.
On Sunday, she said her proudest moment was when LSU was still diving for loose balls up 40 in the fourth quarter.
“When you can give that kind of effort in the fourth quarter, and not the first quarter, I think you’re getting your message through,” Mulkey said.
Hailey Van Lith noticed it herself, too.
Van Lith said she played with a different aggression yesterday, and it showed up with Van Lith recording her highest rebound total of the year.
“It’s my job to bring it every game and I’ve accepted that responsibility,” Van Lith said.
Mulkey’s handled the guards and Van Lith a bit differently on Sunday. Last-Tear Poa played 27 minutes, the most she has in any conference or NCAA Tournament game in her time at LSU.
With Poa in playing the point, it allowed Van Lith to play freely, giving LSU that boost in transition. That’s where Mulkey said games are won.
“I really believe when you break down this game, men or women, I think games are won foul line to foul line. Who runs the most and the fastest the greatest number of times through the course of the game usually wins,” Mulkey said.
Of course, LSU needs to show it can do this consistently and away from home. After the Mississippi State loss, Mulkey said they need to get stops when it matters and that wasn’t tested in a 106-66 win against a Florida team that is 2-6 in conference play.
But Mulkey is making adjustments and the schedule down the stretch is a little easier than what LSU’s faced over the last month. If LSU can keep this up, the Tigers could be ready to peak at the right time again.
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