The Pete Maravich Assembly Center (PMAC) was crackling with excitement long before the final buzzer went off. After LSU’s statement win, Kim Mulkey made it clear that the atmosphere was never incidental.

Following LSU’s gritty 70–65 upset of No. 2 Texas, Mulkey addressed the sold-out PMAC in the post-game conference. “They're hungry. They came to LSU for these moments. This is why they came to LSU, for that crowd,” she said, gesturing to the arena.

“They used to see that on TV, and now they are a part of it. They're out there with hundreds of people getting pictures and autographs. They embrace that. If you don't like that, don't come to LSU.”

And there were! The stadium was packed with a 13,200 attendance, the ninth-largest crowd in program history, to see a milestone win in nearly two decades. As per ESPN Insights, LSU defeated an AP Top-2 team for the first time since the 2008 Elite Eight win over No. 2 North Carolina, snapping a 17-game skid.

"That's a part of how you build a program. That's a part of how you sustain a program. And they'll be out there even after tough losses".

LSU has been practicing hard since the 2 consecutive losses

Without dominant rebounders like Angel Reese or Aneesah Morrow, LSU responded collectively.

“We’re gonna have to do it as a group,” Mulkey said. “We’re not gonna have that one dominant rebounder like we’ve had.”

They won the rebounding battle over Texas. Mulkey has preached all season that rebounding must be a team effort, and with a 44–35 win, the message finally came to life.

She also gave props to Vic Schaefer’s Longhorns. "It's a tough league. Texas is a Final Four team, and we got to prepare for another great team [Oklahoma Sooners] on the road. They're good. They're talented. They're going to get there."

Junior guard Mikaylah Williams finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and a career-high 5 steals while defending Texas star Madison Booker. The LSU Tigers also forced 17 turnovers while limiting Texas to a 61.1 free-throw percentage. Williams' biggest moment came as a three-pointer with one second left on the shot clock to seal the win.

Apart from Williams, 4 other Tigers managed double digits in scoring. “Coach Mulkey says she wants us to be tough,” Williams said postgame. “And I think that's something we've really taken pride in.”

LSU prepares for another ranked showdown. Can they have the same energy as they did in PMAC?

Written by

Fatema Kapasi

Edited by

Joyita Das