BATON ROUGE, La. — In an exhilarating match on Thursday night, Mikaylah Williams achieved a personal best with 32 points, including a crucial jumper that tied the game with just 4.3 seconds remaining, leading No. 5 LSU to a thrilling 94-88 comeback victory over Stanford.
During the overtime, Williams played a pivotal role, contributing six of LSU’s 14 points, highlighted by a time-sensitive 3-pointer with 38 seconds left that marked the turning point in the game.
Kailyn Gilbert, coming off the bench, provided significant support with 25 points, including five in the overtime period, while Flau’Jae Johnson added 21 points to the scoreboard before being disqualified with just over a minute remaining in the extra period.
Stanford (7-2), which maintained a lead for nearly 38½ minutes, was driven by Nunu Agara’s impressive performance of 29 points and 13 rebounds. Other contributors included Brooke Demetre with 19 points, Elena Bosgana with 16, and Jzaniya Harriel who added 15 points.
**Game Analysis:**
Stanford’s strategy involved deploying a 2-3 defensive zone, aiming to exploit LSU’s tendency to rush shots. This decision was likely made due to LSU’s limited number of reliable three-point shooters. However, the Tigers managed to stay competitive by capitalizing on turnovers, ultimately allowing Williams to hit the tying jumper in the closing moments.
LSU faced a formidable opponent in Stanford, who presented a significant challenge with their size, strength, and disciplined play. The Tigers struggled to match the power of Stanford’s starting front line, which collectively contributed 64 points and 21 rebounds.
**Crucial Moment:**
In overtime, with a narrow 88-86 lead and the shot clock running down, Williams delivered a critical deep three-pointer that solidified LSU’s position as the game approached its climax.
**Notable Statistic:**
LSU has demonstrated resilience, having clinched two victories in their last four games despite finding themselves down by double-digit scores.
**Upcoming Schedule:**
Stanford is set to compete against California on December 13 in their inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference matchup. Meanwhile, LSU will face off against Grambling on Sunday afternoon in Bossier City.
