Angel Reese had 19 points and 9 rebounds in her first game back with LSU since November 14. Reese, who started and played 29 minutes, was instrumental in the 82-64 win over Virginia Tech. Meanwhile, Aneesah Morrow had a 19-point, 15-rebound double-double. The Hokies' Georgia Amoore had a game-high 25 points in the loss.
"How happy are y'all to see me?" Reese greeted reporters after the game. While she did not say much about her absence, she did say that she was glad to be back. "It was a long two weeks to be away from the team. I'm just happy to be back and this place was amazing tonight," Reese said. The game also marked Kim Mulkey's 700th coaching win, making her the fastest coach in both men's and women's NCAA history to hit that mark. "Angel is one of the best players I've coached. I'm just proud. I'm proud of how she handled herself. She's back to the Angel everybody knows," Mulkey said after the game.
Short-handed LSU Look To Persevere
LSU fielded just seven players against Virginia Tech as the early-season drama, as well as some brutal injuries, have begun to take their toll. Kateri Poole remains away from the team and did not make her return alongside Reese. Meanwhile, star sophomore Sa'Myah Smith was ruled out for the season after tearing her ACL, MCL, and right meniscus in the Cayman Islands. That leaves LSU with just 11 players to see out the season. Morrow and freshman Milaylah Williams are already close to averaging 30 minutes a night.
However, the Tigers can likely take their foot off the gas for December, with five games left before the SEC slate begins in January. Their December opponents have an average NET ranking of 273, meaning they will likely be little trouble for the 8-1 Tigers. It's January that will start to cause problems if the Tigers remain short-handed and their stars stay on high workloads. Despite losing their entire starting lineup to graduation and the WNBA draft, South Carolina has re-emerged as one of the best teams in the country. They are 6-0, with half their wins coming against ranked opponents. The Tiger-Gamecocks matchup is currently set for January 25.
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