No. 9 LSU loses second straight in upset to unranked Mississippi State
Unranked Mississippi State toppled No. 9 LSU on Monday, delivering a second straight loss to the reigning national champions in a 77-73 upset.
It's the first time LSU has lost consecutive games since the 2021-22 season. LSU also lost to No. 1 South Carolina on Thursday. The Tigers dropped to 18-4 (5-3, SEC) with the loss, while Mississippi State improved to 17-5 (4-3).
The game was tight as LSU took a 40-35 edge into halftime in Starkville. Mississippi State tied the game at 46-46 with an 11-6 run after halftime, then took the lead for good at 55-53 on a Darrione Rogers jumper. The Bulldogs extended their lead to as many as nine points with 6:52 remaining before the Tigers cut their deficit to 70-67 on an Angel Reese layup with 2:42 left.
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That was as close as they would get, as the Bulldogs fought off an LSU rally down the stretch. Mikaylah Williams cut the deficit to 76-73 with a 3-pointer with 17 seconds remaining. But her effort to cut the deficit to one in the final 10 seconds missed the mark, and Mississippi State held on for the win.
The Bulldogs were hot from the field (52.6%) and shot 52.9% (9-of-17) from 3-point distance to secure the upset. Senior guard JerKaila Jordan led the effort with 24 points, four rebounds and five steals. She shot 9-of-17 from the field while hitting all three of her 3-point attempts. Rogers added 19 points off the bench while hitting four of eight 3-point attempts.
Four LSU starters scored in double figures, led by Reese, who tallied a double-double with 20 points and 18 rebounds. But it wasn't enough to overcome the Tigers' defensive shortcomings alongside a 3-of-17 effort (21.4%) from 3-point distance. All-ACC transfer Hailey Van Lith struggled from the field while shooting 1-of-6 on a four-point, two-assist night. She missed all four of her 3-point attempts.
