The new season of NCAA got a blockbuster reception from the fans. However, the Lady Tigers weren’t able to start their campaign with a bang. They lost their opening encounter with the Colorado Buffaloes 78-92. Apart from their disappointing loss, Kim Mulkey and the Tigers were also forced to deal with a grave situation on the court.
Injury scare leaves Angel Reese and Co. frozen with fear
Angel Reese and Co. had a rather forgettable outing on the opening night in Vegas. With less than 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, their new forward Aneesah Morrow collided awkwardly with a Lady Buff and took a fall wrapping her arms around her knee. Assessing the seriousness of the situation, head coach Kim Mulkey rushed towards her new recruit to get an update herself. The Most Outstanding Player of last year’s tournament– Angel Reese–couldn’t hide her expressions as she looked stunned.
The pain and agony of Aneesah Morrow shocked the entire locker room of the LSU Tigers. Head coach Mulkey was on Morrow’s side the entire time she lay on the floor. Nonetheless, the No. 24 of the Lady Tigers got back on her feet amidst the cheering and clapping from the crowd. Following this, she joined the team hurdle ready to get back onto the court. The sold-out T-Mobile Arena witnessed the entire LSU team consoling an emotional Aneesah.
The Lady Buffs give a tough night to Kim Mulkey’s formidable squad. Throughout the night, the Tigers were left clueless trying to catch-up with their opponents game.
The Lady Tigers get a reality check
The defending champions have a bitter pill to swallow following their upset to the Lady Buffs. The Lady Tigers looked out of sorts after the first quarter. After controlling the game 16-14, they didn’t have answers to Colorado’s field game and 3-point distance shooting. During the half-time the reigning NCAA champions found themselves trailing 38-32 against the Buffaloes. The Tigers’ kingpin Angel Reese was seen struggling on the court. She finished the night registering 15 points with 12 rebounds. Moreover, their new point guard could only shoot 4 of her 11 from the field. She ended up with 14 points to go with seven assists on her debut.
On a rather brighter note, LSU’s freshman Mikaylah Williams was their top performer. She was the lone LSU starter to land half of her shots in the basket from the field. As a result, the 18-year-old scored 17 points and 4 assists to her name.
The No.20 seed Colorado delivered a wake-up call to the NCAA champions last night. The Tigers need to learn quickly from their mistakes before their next match against the Queens Royals. It will be interesting to see how they regroup and approach their next encounter.
