LSU coach Kim Mulkey was not pleased by the basketball she saw in the first half against Tennessee.
With the No. 6 Tigers leading Lady Vols basketball 43-42 at halftime, ESPN reporter Holly Rowe interviewed Mulkey before she headed to the locker room.
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“This is not good basketball. Anybody that’s a basketball junkie is looking at this like rec ball. That’s what it looks like out here,” Mulkey said. “You take it, that’s a hot potato. No, you take it. Defense, help side, nonexistent. It’s one-on-one basketball by both teams right now, but Tennessee makes you play that way.
“It’s just kind of kamikaze. Take care of the ball. Take care of the ball, keep them out of the paint, rebound the ball, and you might win tonight.”
Both teams had their moments with turnovers in the first half, with Tennessee committing nine to LSU’s seven. The Lady Vols found some early success with their press and their defense, and they also outrebounded the Tigers 27-18 in the first half.
Mulkey’s comments were similar to Kentucky coach Kenny Brooks after Tennessee beat Kentucky 60-58 on Jan. 22.
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“I think we set women’s basketball back about 15 years today with the way both teams played,” Brooks said. “Shooting under 30% from 3, 30-plus turnovers – I wouldn’t pay to watch it.”
Kentucky committed 21 turnovers in the matchup, which led to 21 points for Tennessee.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks: subscribe.knoxnews.com/offers
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Kim Mulkey says LSU vs Tennessee first half like ‘rec ball’
