By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE – LSU has rarely been an underdog since fourth-year LSU head women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey took over a dead-in-the-water program.
She enjoys pundits dismissing her team.
It’s where Mulkey finds her current 28-5 squad, one of four No. 3 national seeds, heading into Saturday’s 9:15 p.m. NCAA first-round regional matchup with No. 14 seed San Diego State in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The winner advances to Monday’s second round to play the winner of Saturday’s first-round opener at 6:45 p.m. between No. 6 seed Florida State (23-8) vs. No. 11 seed George Mason (27-5).
The Tigers have lost three of the last four games, two losses without injured All-SEC first-team junior guard Flau’Jae Johnson and most of the last immediate loss without All-SEC first-team senior forward Aneesah Morrow.
Mulkey chose to sit Johnson for the last three games to heal her shin inflammation. She sat Morrow for the final 17:53 in an SEC tourney semi-final loss to Texas when she reaggravated a mid-left foot sprain.
Talking heads have babbled the last few days predicting No. 6 seed Florida State will end LSU’s season with a second-round victory on the Tigers’ homecourt where LSU has won 67 of 72 games.
They also talk about the Seminoles beating a coach who has advanced her team to the Sweet 16 and beyond in 17 of 22 NCAA tournament trips.
“Everybody’s talking about who should win it, who their picks are to win it,” Mulkey said. “It makes me smile to think back two years ago. They never talked about us winning it (the national championship). It’s those little things that motivate me as a coach.”
LSU has been a No. 3 seed and a regional host in all four seasons under Mulkey. The Tigers are 5-1 in those regionals, winning the national title in 2023 and advancing to the Elite Eight last season.
“As a coach, I never take for granted these playoff experiences just because I’ve done it lots of times,” said Mulkey, who’s 63-18 in the NCAA tourney (53-16 in 19 appearances at Baylor, 10-2 in 3 appearances at LSU). “I want it to be as important for me today as it was the very first time I did it as a coach.”
Every player but freshman Jada Richard on LSU’s roster – even the four new transfers this season – has NCAA Tournament experience though none of the transfers have ever advanced to the Sweet 16. Three players – Johnson, redshirt sophomore Sa’Myah Smith and senior Amani Bartlett — have national title rings.
After a tough couple of weeks with the injuries to Johnson and Morrow, plus Mulkey physically under the weather and mentally grieving the unexpected death of a friend from her college days as a player at Louisiana Tech, LSU got back in sync this past week.
“We had Morrow and Flau’Jae back out there (in practice on Monday),” she said. “We were able to do some things that we haven’t been able to do lately without a full squad.”
“They’re (Morrow and Johnson) ready to go. They’ve been doing what they need to do to not have any more aches and pains, and it’s going to be so much fun to watch them get back in the flow.”
San Diego State head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson, a San Diego native, feels like this weekend’s game is a “home away from home game.”
Terry-Hutson spent two years in Baton Rouge as an LSU assistant under previous Tigers’ head coach Nikki Fargas in 2011-12 and 2012-13.
“It (LSU) is a storied program with a great fan base,” said Terry-Hutson, who still has many family members in Baton Rouge and Texas who will be in attendance. “I’ve followed them because I enjoy watching them.
“It’s a highly competitive, athletic team that can hit you many different ways,” she said. “The guards are very good. The posts are very good. We’re going to have our hands full. We’re talking about a different type of brand of basketball in the SEC but I think our girls will be up for the challenge and ready to go.”
A year ago, the Aztecs were 22-13 overall (10-8 in the Mountain West Conference) and lost to No. 1 seed UNLV 66-49 in the league championship tournament.
This season, Terry-Hutson added transfers junior guard Veronica Sheffey from the University of San Diego and forward Cali Clark of Colorado State.
After a 75-65 loss at regular season league champion UNLV on Feb. 12, the Aztecs began their current eight-game winning streak. In the MWC tourney, they beat No. 5 seed New Mexico 63-53 in the quarterfinals, top-seed UNLV 71-59 in the semifinals and No. 2 seed Wyoming 72-68 in three overtimes in the finals to earn the automatic NCAA tourney bid.
Sheffey, named MVP of the MWC tourney, said she’s looking forward to playing LSU’s hostile home crowd.
“I love playing in those environments,” she said. “It’s what I’ve been working for my whole life. These are the type of moments I wanted to be in and to be able to perform in front of other people’s crowds, no matter what the crowd is like.”
NCAA BATON ROUGE REGIONAL FIRST ROUND
No. 3 seed LSU (28-5, 12-4 SEC) vs. No. 14 seed San Diego State (25-9, 11-7 Mountain West), 9:15 p.m. (ESPN)
LSU
NCAA Tournament appearances and record: 29, 53-28 (65.4 percent).
Last appearance: 2024, beat Rice 70-60, Middle Tennessee 83-56, UCLA 78-69, lost to Iowa 94-87 in regional finals.
Head coach: Kim Mulkey (751-123 in 25 seasons overall, 119-19 in four seasons at LSU).
Notable wins this season: 82-65 over N.C. State in the Bahamas, 94-88 (overtime) vs. Stanford, Oklahoma 107-100, at Tennessee 89-87, Tennessee 82-77, at Kentucky 65-58.
Starting lineup: G Flau’Jae Johnson, 5-10, Jr. (18.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg), G Mikaylah Williams 6-0, So. (17.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg), G Shayeann Day-Wilson 5-6, Sr.(3.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg), F Aneesah Morrow, 6-1, Sr. (18.5 ppg, 13.6 rpg), F Sa’Maya Smith, 6-2, RS sophomore (5.7 ppg, 6 rpg).
Top reserves: G Kailyn Gilbert, 5-8, Jr. (9.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg), G Mjracle Sheppard, 5-10, So. (4.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg), F Jersey Wolfenbarger, 6-5, Jr. (4.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg), G Last Tear-Poa, 5-11, Sr. (2.1 ppg, 0.9).
National stat rankings: Scoring offense (6th) 84.5 ppg), scoring defense (206th) 65.7, rebounding (3rd) 45.76, turnovers (103rd) 14.8, field goal percentage (36th) 45.57, field goal percentage defense (34th) 37.2, 3-point percentage (93rd) 33.47, 3-point percentage defense (18th) 27.1, free throw percentage (113th) 73.30.
SAN DIEGO STATE NCAA Tournament appearances and record: 9, 6-9 (40 percent).
Last appearance: 2012, lost to LSU 64-56 in the first round.
Head coach: Stacie Terry-Hutson (179-194 in 12 seasons overall and at San Diego State).
Notable wins this season: 73-67 vs. Wisconsin in Cancun, 55-46 vs. VCU in Cancun, 50-41 at Wake Forest, 71-59 vs. UNLV in MWC tourney semis, 72-68 over. Wyoming in three overtimes in MWC tourney championship game.
Starting lineup: G Veronica Sheffey, 6-0, Sr. (11.4 ppg, 2.9 apg), G Nat Martinez, 5-7, Fr. (7.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg), G Naoimi Panganbian, 5-7, Fr. (10.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg), F Cali Clark, 6-3, Sr. (7.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg), F Kim Villalobos, 6-0, Sr. (8.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg).
Top reserves: F Adryana Quezada, 5-10, Sr. (9.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg), G Jazlen Green, 5-11 Sr. (3.6 ppg, 1.6 RPG).
National stat rankings: Scoring offense (96th) 69.4 ppg), scoring defense (89th) 60.4, rebounding (195th) 35.9, turnovers (37th) 13.2, field goal percentage (83rd) 43.63, field goal percentage defense (74th) 38.3, 3-point percentage (54th) 34.56, 3-point percentage defense (92nd) 29.3, free throw percentage (61st) 75.39.
No. 6 seed Florida State (23-8, 13-5 ACC) vs. No. 11 seed George Mason (27-5, 14-4 Atlantic 10), 6:45 p.m. (ESPN2)
FLORIDA STATE NCAA Tournament appearances and record: 22, 24-22 (52.2 percent).
Last appearance: 2024, lost 82-74 to Alabama in the first round.
Head coach: Brooke Wycoff (79-38, 3 years overall and at FSU).
Notable wins this season: 86-81 at No. 3 Notre Dame, 86-84 at No. 13 North Carolina.
Starting lineup: G Ta’Niya Latson, 5-8, Jr. (24.9 ppg, 4.7 apg), F Makayla Timpson, 6-2, Sr. (17.6 ppg, 10.6 rpg), G O’mariah Gordon G 5-4, Sr. (16.2 ppg, 3.5 apg), G Sydney Bowles, 6-0, Jr. (10.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg), F Malea Williams 6-4, Grad. (4.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg).
Top reserves: G Carla Viegas, 5-9, So. (6.3 ppg, 0.8 rpg), G Amaya Bonner 6-0, Jr. (3.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg), G Brianna Turnage 6-1, Jr. (1.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg).
National stat rankings: Scoring offense (2nd) 87.2 ppg), scoring defense (308th) 71.2, rebounding (32nd) 40.13, turnovers (4th) 11.0, field goal percentage (60th) 44.53, field goal percentage defense (226th) 41.5, 3-point percentage (46th) 34.71, 3-point percentage defense (195th) 31.4, free throw percentage (7th) 79.06.
GEORGE MASON NCAA Tournament appearances and record: None.
Head coach: Vanessa Blair-Lewis (389-349 overall in 27 seasons, 76-47 in 5 seasons at George Mason).
Notable wins this season: 50-41 at Wake Forest, 73-58 over St. Joseph’s in Atlantic 10 tourney finals.
Starting lineup: G Paula Suarez, 6-0, Sr. (11.9 ppg, 4.3 apg)), F Zahirah Walton, 5-11, R-So. (15.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg), F Nalani Kaysia, 6-2, Grad. (7.5 ppg, 9.8 rpg), G Kennedy Harris, 5-7, So. (13.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg), G Ta’Viyana Habib, 5-11, Grad. (6.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg).
Top reserves: F Nehku Mitchell, 6-0, Jr. (5.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg), G Page Greenburg 5-9, Jr. (4.2 ppg, 1.0 rpg).
National stat rankings: Scoring offense (54th) 73.7 ppg), scoring defense (28th) 56.7, rebounding (92nd) 38.22, turnovers (10th) 11.8, field goal percentage (103rd ) 36.52, field goal percentage defense (42nd) 37.7, 3-point percentage (21st) 34.71, 3-point percentage defense (231st) 32.1 free throw percentage (135th) 72.58.
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com