Michael Bacigalupi
BATON ROUGE, La. – With sophomore Kate Koval’s second-straight double-double and seven LSU players scoring in double figures, the fifth-ranked Tigers were able to dominate the visiting Charlotte 49ers, 117-59, inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Wednesday night.
With the win, LSU picked up its fourth consecutive victory and improved its overall record to 4-0. Charlotte’s overall record dropped to 2-2. The Tigers ran their streak of 100-point games to four, joining the Houston Christian (108), Southeastern Louisiana (115) and Georgia Southern (118) contests.
LSU returns to the court when it travels to New Orleans to face Tulane in the Avron B. Fogleman Arena on Monday, Nov. 17. The contest will be televised on ESPNU, and it can be heard on the LSU Sports Radio Network with Patrick Wright and Shaeeta Williams on the call.
On the night, LSU shot 35-of-71 (49.3%) from the field and 10-of-20 (50%) from behind the three-point arc. The Tigers reeled in 54 rebounds, while the 49ers recorded 37. LSU shared the ball throughout the contest, accounting for 14 assists compared to Charlotte’s five.
“I feel like our team is definitely special with that,” Koval said of the team’s unselfishness. “We truly enjoy playing with each other. We truly enjoy each other. So I feel like you can see our chemistry on the court. And everybody eats on this team. Everybody gets a touch. And whether you double the post players, we got amazing shooters. You stop our shooters and drivers, we got great post players. So we all kind of play off of each other.”
With seven players scoring in double figures, LSU’s offense was ultimately paced by junior MiLaysia Fulwiley, leading the Tigers with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting, five three-pointers and three steals. Junior Mikaylah Williams earned a season high 18 points along with six defensive boards and two assists. Other Tigers with double figures included senior Flau’jae Johnson (16), senior Amiya Joyner (15), freshman Grace Knox (10) and ZaKiyah Johnson (10).
Koval’s double-double consisted of 10 points and 12 rebounds.
“I’ve been doing this for almost 40 years,” Coach Kim Mulkey said. “I can’t even think about if I’ve ever had balance like that. I probably have never confidently substituted like this, even in non-conference. And what has dictated that is what goes on in practice every day. You show me in practice, because I think our practices are extremely tough, I think they’re fighting for playing time. And I tell them, ‘Don’t worry about who’s starting – make me play you.’ Well, they’re all making me play them.”
LSU got the scoring started with a made three-pointer from Williams. The Tiger offense didn’t let up throughout the entirety of the first period, as they were able to build a 36-12 advantage by the end of it. LSU was led by Fulwiley who dazzled with nine points, knocking down all three shots, including two three-pointers and a free throw.
In the second quarter, LSU’s defense stymied the 49er offense, holding Charlotte to 0-for-17 from the field. The visitors only scored five points in the quarter from made free throws. The Tigers, on the other hand, scored 26 in the quarter, expanding their halftime lead to 45 points. LSU had the 62-17 lead heading into the second half.
In the second half, LSU outscored Charlotte 55-42, as it shot 15-of-34 (44.1%) from the field and converted on 24-of-29 (82.8%) free throw attempts. The second half scoring was led by Joyner, who had 15 total points and 11 in the second half. More than half of Joyner’s points in the second half came from the charity stripe, going a perfect 7-for-7. She also went 2-for-2 from the field.
