By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
NEW ORLEANS – It’s no coincidence that Kim Mulkey has played against Louisiana Tech just twice in her 889 games in 25 seasons as a college head coach.
The 63-year-old Mulkey, a Tech graduate, was instrumental in all three of the Lady Techsters’ national championships, serving as a player in 1981 and 1982, and as an assistant coach in 1988.
She spent 18 years of her life in the program, formulating her basketball philosophy from her treasured mentor and former Tech head basketball coach Leon Barmore.
So, when Mulkey’s No. 5-ranked LSU Tigers finally subdued the Lady Techsters for an 87-61 victory over Louisiana Tech in the Compete 4 Cause Classic on Saturday evening in Smoothie King Center, she seemed relieved.
For the most part, she held her emotions in check all last week except when associate head coach Bob Starkey and assistant Joe Schwartz slipped pictures into video presentations of Mulkey in her Tech playing days.
“I was good until Bob Starkey gave the scouting report this week, and put some old pictures in there,” Mulkey said. “I realized how many wrinkles I have and how gray I am, and in my mind, I’m still that pigtail girl.
“After seeing that, it was emotional. But then, when we got to the bus today, I got a little teary-eyed because Joe included a lot of stuff about my playing days as well.”
Mulkey quickly stowed the emotions because the Lady Techsters (5-4) made LSU earn the win to stay undefeated at 11-0.
Tech didn’t care that LSU led the country in seven statistical categories, including bench points per game, field goal percentage, rebound margin, offensive rebounds per game, scoring margin, scoring offense and three-point percentage.
The Lady Techsters, who trailed by only eight points with 3:48 left in the third quarter, held the Tigers under their averages in all of those areas. They avoided all the mistakes that have caused LSU to obliterate its opponents.
The Tigers scored 25 points off turnovers, tying their season low. Tech gave up just 19 fast break points, well under the Tigers’ 28.2 points per game.
Even with LSU shooting 61.5 percent from the field in the fourth quarter, it had its worst shooting performance of the season at 48.3 percent (29-60).
Despite Bossier City native and former Parkway star Mikaylah Williams scoring a team-high 19 points, including seven in the third quarter, LSU couldn’t put together one of its jaw-dropping runs.
Though Williams said “we didn’t come out with the intensity that we needed to when the ball tipped off,” the truth is the Lady Techsters played with more passion and purpose than the Tigers.
Louisiana Tech never quit running its offense, which resulted in the Lady Techsters hitting 10 of 29 3-pointers, including four by Paris Bradley and three by Jianna Morris.
Every time Tech hit a 3-pointer, its entire bench stood and roared its approval.
“Just moving the ball, getting each other involved opened up a lot of shots for each other,” said Bradley, who scored a team-best 19 points. “Celebrating let us take those shots with a lot more confidence. We see one go in and see the whole thing celebrating, so make sure to shoot another one.”
The Tigers tried to bully the Lady Techsters by throwing the ball inside to low-post players. But LSU missed 12 of 26 layups, often because of Tech’s physical defense.
“Our group had a fight and a desire to be out there and be together,” said Lady Techsters head coach Brooke Stoehr, the last Tech point guard to reach the Final Four, who Mulkey coached for two seasons as an assistant before becoming Baylor’s head coach in 2000. “Our communication was much better today. You’ve got to have a connected group to have a chance to get stops.
“They’re so good in transition, you have to eliminate some of those easy looks. You’ve got to force them to take some contested shots, and then you’ve got to go find a way to get a rebound.”
Tech did a solid defensive job on not letting LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson and MiLaysia Fulwiley explode offensively.
Johnson, who did manage a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, had just two steals. Fulwiley, who averages team-highs of 16.3 points and 4 steals off the bench, scored seven of her game-total 10 points in the fourth quarter. She also had one steal.
The Tigers finally broke loose with a 19-3 run that took LSU from a 50-42 lead to 69-45 in a five-minute span bridging the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth.
“We just tried to pick up the intensity on defense and play fast,” Williams said. “Pick up full court, try to make them speed up, get in the passing lanes and get those transition buckets.”
Mulkey, Johnson and Stoehr agreed the best player on the floor was Williams, who filled her stat line with five rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
“She just has a presence about her right now that’s better than it has been,” Mulkey said of Williams. “And just do a little bit of everything.”
Which is no surprise for Johnson, who has been Williams’’ teammate for three seasons.
“Once she gets going, you can’t really stop her,” Johnson said. “She makes ridiculously tough shots. But her overall game, especially her defense, is becoming more and more dominant. We know she can score in bunches, but it’s everything else she can do.”
Stoehr said Williams has proven she’s one of the most versatile players in the country.
“She can play all the positions one through five,” Stoehr said. “She’s got great strength. Her mid-range game is really nice. She can shoot the three with great consistency. She sees the floor and passes well. Her versatility is really tough to defend.”
LSU returns to action Tuesday at home vs. Morgan State. Tech hosts Central Arkansas on Wednesday.
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com