“`html
BATON ROUGE, La. — Mikaylah Williams led the way with an impressive 25 points, while Aneesah Morrow contributed a double-double with 21 points and 20 rebounds, guiding the seventh-ranked LSU Tigers to a commanding 117-44 win over Charleston Southern on Tuesday afternoon.
Flau’jae Johnson also made her mark by scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, marking a career milestone as she surpassed the 1,000-point threshold. Newcomer Kailyn Gilbert, who transferred from Arizona, nearly achieved a triple-double with 14 points, 9 assists, and 9 rebounds. Meanwhile, another transfer, Jersey Wolfenbarger from Arkansas, chipped in with 10 points and 6 rebounds for the Tigers, who improved their record to 3-0.
Catherine Alben was the standout for the Buccaneers, leading their scoring with 15 points as they struggled to keep pace.
In their matchup, Charleston Southern—who experienced a difficult start against No. 16 North Carolina earlier in the season—managed to jump to a quick 5-0 lead against LSU within the first 90 seconds. However, the Tigers quickly turned the tide, showcasing their depth and aggressive defense.
LSU’s defensive prowess has been impressive this season, often stifling their opponents. They’ve limited the scoring of rival teams to single digits in five of their last eight quarters and have not allowed more than 16 points in any quarter thus far.
A critical turning point in the game came during the first quarter when LSU unleashed a vigorous defensive performance. During a span of 6 minutes and 30 seconds, Charleston Southern missed 15 out of 16 shots, resulting in a significant 19-2 scoring run for LSU. This not only allowed the Tigers to build a lead of 24-9 by the end of the quarter but also to maintain a dominant 56-22 advantage at halftime.
Notably, the attendance during the game reached approximately 11,095, primarily filled with students from Baton Rouge-area schools, creating an electrifying atmosphere in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The noise level during the event topped 110 decibels, akin to that of a loud rock concert.
Looking ahead, Charleston Southern is set to take on Charlotte next Monday night. On the other hand, LSU will host Murray State this Friday night, continuing their streak of six consecutive home games to kick off the season.
“`