BATON ROUGE, La. — In an intense matchup on Thursday evening, Mikaylah Williams powered No. 7 LSU to a 107-100 victory over No. 13 Oklahoma by scoring an impressive 37 points. Her performance included a crucial 3-pointer that ignited a decisive 6-0 run to close out the game. Flau’Jae Johnson contributed significantly with 25 points, while Aneesah Morrow added 21 points, helping the Tigers improve to 22-1 overall and 7-1 in the Southeastern Conference.

Despite leading by 24 points late in the third quarter, LSU faced a challenge as Oklahoma (16-5, 4-4 SEC) mounted a strong comeback. The game was marked by physical play, resulting in the ejection of LSU forward Sa’Myah Smith and Oklahoma forward Liz Scott due to a shoving incident during the first quarter. Additionally, three technical fouls were called throughout the game, underscoring the intensity on the court.

Oklahoma managed to score 17 of their second-half points by capitalizing on 11 turnovers from LSU, narrowing the gap to just one point twice in the final 1:35 of the game. Payton Verhulst led the Sooners in scoring with 26 points, while Raegan Beers added 20 points to the mix.

In terms of key highlights, Oklahoma focused on disrupting Morrow, the primary inside scoring threat for LSU, particularly after Smith’s departure due to ejection. The Tigers initially struggled to find their rhythm, as they took a full quarter to find the tempo they preferred. However, they dominated the second period, outscoring the Sooners 13-8 off turnovers and executing a fast break with a 14-0 advantage.

An important moment in the game came when Verhulst connected on a 3-pointer, closing the gap to 101-100 with just over a minute remaining. After two crucial offensive rebounds on the ensuing LSU possession, Williams expertly maneuvered off a high screen to sink another 3-pointer, pushing the lead to 104-100 with only 20 seconds on the clock. Just seven seconds later, Johnson sealed the game with a breakaway layup following a block from Aalyah Del Rosario.

Statistically, LSU made a remarkable 12 3-pointers throughout the game, a new season high, surpassing the total from their last three SEC games combined.

Looking ahead, LSU is set to face Mississippi State at home this Sunday, while Oklahoma will welcome No. 12 Kentucky to their court.