Defending national champion LSU is having a rough week.
Four days after losing to Associated Press No. 1 South Carolina, No. 9 LSU (18-4, 5-3 in SEC) was stunned on the road, losing to unranked Mississippi State, 77-73. The Tigers entered the game as a 9.5-point favorite.
Per ESPN’s “SportsCenter” social media account, it was the first win for Mississippi State (17-5, 4-3 in SEC) against a top-10 opponent since 2018.
It was also the first time LSU head coach Kim Mulkey lost consecutive games with the Tigers since her first season in Baton Rouge in 2021-22.
LSU was a popular pick in the preseason to repeat as NCAA Tournament champs, and while it has the talent to go on a deep run in March, its play of late has been concerning. Over their last five games, the Tigers are 2-3.
Their lack of depth has been exposed in the past two losses.
Against the Bulldogs, the Tigers’ bench was outscored 35-6. On Thursday against the Gamecocks, the game turned when power forward Angel Reese, who had 20 points and 18 rebounds on Monday, fouled out with 4:02 remaining.
Transfer guard Hailey Van Lith’s play has been disappointing as well. During the team’s last five games, she’s averaged 9.6 points per game while shooting 29.6%.
For a team with limited options behind her, it can’t afford her dry spell to last much longer.
In December, Mulkey announced guard Kateri Poole, who played a pivotal role during last year’s NCAA Tournament run, was no longer with the team.
As choppily as the year began, it’s only fitting that LSU must weather another storm. The Tigers lost their opener to Colorado, and Reese spent four games away from the team for unspecified reasons in November.
They successfully maneuvered through that minefield, but the SEC is proving to be much more daunting.
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