If there’s anything discernible about this LSU women’s basketball team through its first 19 games on the season, it’s that it has figured out ways to close games.
For the fourth time this season, last time out against Vanderbilt, the No. 4 Tigers (19-0, 4-0 SEC) looked up in the fourth quarter and found themselves behind. But thanks to its big three — Flau’jae Johnson, Aneesah Morrow and Mikaylah Williams — they made the necessary plays to lift their team to its 19th straight win.
Kim Mulkey and her squad hope for a less stressful contest at Florida (11-7, 2-2) inside the Stephen C. O’Connell Center Sunday afternoon (Noon, SEC Network).
HOW ANEESAH MORROW MADE HISTORY ‘She’s a monster’: How LSU star Aneesah Morrow has etched her name in the record books
FLAU’JAE, A FACE OF WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ‘It’s authentic’: A face of women’s basketball, LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson ‘radiates starpower’
Florida Gators winless against ranked opponents
While Gators coach Kelly Rae Finley has her team looking much improved from a season ago, against stiffer competition, they haven’t been able to show much progress.
Florida lost to North Carolina by 20 in the nonconference portion of its schedule and since SEC play has opened up, it’s met No. 19 Alabama and No. 16 Kentucky in the last two weeks. The Gators fell on the road at Alabama by 10 and was handed a 71-55 loss at home to the Wildcats.
Against Power Four competition, Florida is 3-5, including 2-2 in the early going of conference play.
LSU women’s basketball wins games in different ways
Not only has LSU seemingly figured out to how to close out games, exactly how it has been able to do it is just as noteworthy.
Kailyn Gilbert has been a big catalyst for LSU winning a couple of its close games with memorable game-winners against Washington in The Bahamas and recently at Tennessee. But others have stepped up when the Tigers needed them.
Last game against Vandy, Johnson piloted the Tigers’ late comeback with big shots and snatching a couple of crucial rebounds. Earlier this season, Williams fueled LSU’s rally against Stanford, where she hit big shots to send the game to overtime before taking overtime over to bury the Cardinal.
Who do teams guard in crunch time? As long as LSU continues to win games in varying ways, that question will be harder and harder to answer.
Florida has a dynamic one-two punch in Liv McGill, Ra Shaya Kyle
For the second straight game, the Tigers will matchup with one of the league’s better guard-forward combos.
Florida freshman guard Liv McGill and senior center Ra Shaya Kyle have given the Gators a formidable duo that forces defenses to stay honest and pick which one they want to limit on the offensive end.
Kyle has the third-highest field goal percentage in the SEC at 63.7%. Her near can’t-miss arsenal leads Florida’s efficient offense as the unit barely has any wasted possessions. McGill averages five assists per game, while leading the team in scoring with 16 points each time out.
LSU women’s basketball at Florida score prediction
LSU 82, Florida 67: With the extended rest between games, LSU comes out firing on all cylinders to build a big lead before coasting to victory against the Gators.
KAILYN GILBERT What Kim Mulkey said about LSU hero Kailyn Gilbert’s game winner over Tennessee Lady Vols
LSU WEATHERS STORM AT TENNESSEE LSU women’s basketball weathers storm to outlast Tennessee Lady Vols for thrilling SEC win
Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU women’s basketball at Florida: Score prediction, scouting report
