GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 5 LSU (19-0, 4-0 SEC) will look to improve to 20-0 for the second time in program history on Sunday at noon CT when the Tigers play at Florida (11-8, 2-3 SEC) in Exactech Arena on the SEC Network.
Eric Frede and Jimmy Dykes will be on the call for the SEC Network. Fans can also listen to Patrick Wright and Shaeeta Williams on the LSU Sports Radio Network. The Tigers are on the road Sunday and then again on Thursday at South Carolina before coming home for three straight games in the PMAC.
The Tigers are off to their second-best start in program history. LSU started the 2022-23 season 23-0 before going on to win the national championship with a 34-2 record. Coach Mulkey is in her 25th season as a head coach and she has led her team to 20+ victories every season.
“They’re not afraid of the moment,” Coach Mulkey said. “We’ve got a mixture of new players who are trying to find their way and become a lot more confident. You’ve got older players who have been in the system.”
LSU did not play Thursday night with their first of two byes in conference play. Florida played at Ole Miss Thursday night, but the Gators fell, 69-94. Florida’s previous two games have been on the road before Sunday’s home game against LSU. LSU (.492) and Florida (.481) own the top two shooting percentages in the SEC.
In both of LSU’s two previous games the Tigers had a trio of players score 20+ points. Every point was critical as both wins came by less than 10 points. In LSU’s win at No. 16 Tennessee, it was Aneesah Morrow, Flau’Jae Johnson and Kailyn Gilbert. Against Vanderbilt, Morrow, Johnson and Mikaylah Williams all scored at least 20 points. LSU has 10 games this season in which at least two players have scored 20+ points. LSU is 5-0 this season in games decided by 10 points or less as the Tigers have numerous varying ways to win close games.
Morrow was last week’s SEC Player of the Week after two massive performances at No. 16 Tennessee (23 pts., 21 rebs.) and at home against Vanderbilt (23 pts., 15 rebs.). She is the only player in the country with multiple 20/20 games this season and has recorded eight 20/15 games. Morrow became the eighth player in NCAA DI history with 2,500 points and 1,500 rebounds in a career.
Morrow leads the nation in double-doubles (17) and rebounding (14.4 rpg). Throughout her career, Morrow has recorded 91 double-doubles. Her next double-double will put her in a tie for the second most in NCAA DI history with Oregon’s Jillian Alleyne.
Flau’Jae Johnson has been a scoring machine for LSU. She ranks No. 4 in the SEC scoring 20.0 points per game. Johnson has scored in double figures in 28 consecutive games and she has scored 20+ in 14 of LSU’s previous 22 games, going back to the final three games of last year’s NCAA Tournament.
Florida’s Liv McGill is coming off a week in which she was named SEC Freshman of the Week, helped by the triple-double she recorded at Missouri. In the Gator’s loss at Ole Miss, McGill had 11 points with 5 rebounds and 5 assists. She leads the team with 15.8 points per game this season.
Along with McGill, Florida has three additional players who score in double figures; Ra Shaya Kyle (15.2 ppg), Jeriah Warren (13.9 ppg) and Laila Reynolds (10.0 ppg). Kyle, a 6-6 center, has the SEC’s third best shooting rate at 64.2 percent.
**LSU Press Release**
