Mulkey-led LSU women reach 1st title game, top Virginia Tech

Mar 31, 2023, 6:21 PM

LSU's Angel Reese and LaDazhia Williams react during the second half of an NCAA Women's Final Four ...

LSU's Angel Reese and LaDazhia Williams react during the second half of an NCAA Women's Final Four semifinals basketball game against Virginia TechFriday, March 31, 2023, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

DALLAS (AP) — Alexis Morris scored 27 points and had two of her misses in the fourth quarter turned into putback baskets by Angel Reese in a big run as LSU rallied to beat top-seeded Virginia Tech 79-72 in the national semifinal game Friday night.

Reese finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds for LSU (33-2), which is going to the national championship game for the first time. It comes in the second season since feisty and flamboyantly dressed coach Kim Mulkey returned to her home state to take over a Tigers program that lost five consecutive national semifinal games from 2004-08 the only other times they made it this far.

LSU will play Sunday against the winner of the South Carolina-Iowa semifinal.

Mulkey, who won three national titles in four Final Four appearances over her 21 seasons at Baylor, is only the second coach to take two different teams to the national championship game. The other was C. Vivian Stringer, with Cheyney in the inaugural 1982 women’s tournament and Rutgers in 2007.

Trailing 59-50 after three quarters, LSU went ahead with a 15-0 run over a five-minute span in the fourth period. They led for the first time since late in the first half when Falu’jae Johnson had a steal and drove for a layup to make it 64-62.

Reese had six points in that game-turning spurt, including a basket after Morris’ attempted 3-pointer clanked off the front rim. Reese had a second-effort follow of her own miss after rebounding another miss by Morris.

Elizabeth Kitley had 18 points and 12 rebounds for Virginia Tech (31-5), the ACC champion that was in the Final Four for the first time.

___

AP March Madness coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

United States News

FILE - Attorneys and criminal justice advocates stand outside Louisiana's Supreme Court on May 10, ...

Associated Press

Historic acquittal in Louisiana fuels fight to review ‘Jim Crow’ verdicts

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Evangelisto Ramos walked out of a New Orleans courthouse and away from a life sentence accompanying a 10-2 jury conviction, thanks in large part to the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision bearing his name. Ramos v. Louisiana outlawed nonunanimous jury convictions as unconstitutional, with justices on the 6-3 majority acknowledging the […]

1 day ago

Associated Press

Pay per wave: Native Hawaiians divided over artificial surf lagoon in the birthplace of surfing

EWA BEACH, Hawaii (AP) — Brian Keaulana is the quintessential Native Hawaiian waterman, well-known in Hawaii and beyond for his deep understanding of the ocean, gifted with surfing and lifeguarding skills passed down from his big-wave rider father. Now, as one of the islands’ standard-bearers of surfing, Keaulana wants to further boost the sport in […]

1 day ago

FILE — A man checks his footing as he wades through the Morris Canal Outlet in Jersey City, N.J.,...

Associated Press

As rising oceans threaten NYC, study documents another risk: The city is sinking

NEW YORK (AP) — If rising oceans aren’t worry enough, add this to the risks New York City faces: The metropolis is slowly sinking under the weight of its skyscrapers, homes, asphalt and humanity itself. New research estimates the city’s landmass is sinking at an average rate of 1 to 2 millimeters per year, something […]

1 day ago

This undated photo shows the late Army Cpl. Luther H. Story. The Army said Friday, May 19, 2023, th...

Associated Press

‘He’s home’: Missing 73 years, Medal of Honor recipient’s remains return to Georgia

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Soldiers of the 9th Infantry Regiment made a desperate retreat as North Korean troops closed in around them. A wounded, 18-year-old Army Pfc. Luther Herschel Story feared his injuries would slow down his company, so he stayed behind to cover their withdrawal. Story’s actions in the Korean War on Sept. 1, […]

1 day ago

A skeleton in sunglasses sits beside a sign reading "Just waiting for the insurance check," outside...

Associated Press

Struggles continue for thousands in Florida 8 months after Hurricane Ian as new storm season looms

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Eight months ago, chef Michael Cellura had a restaurant job and had just moved into a fancy new camper home on Fort Myers Beach. Now, after Hurricane Ian swept all that away, he lives in his older Infiniti sedan with a 15-year-old long-haired chihuahua named Ginger. Like hundreds of […]

1 day ago

President Joe Biden speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Sunday, May 28, 2023, in Washi...

Associated Press

Takeaways on debt ceiling: McCarthy’s balancing act, Biden’s choice and the challenges ahead

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s a deal no one in Washington claims to really like. But after weeks of negotiations, President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have struck an agreement to raise the debt ceiling and avert a potentially devastating government default. The stakes are high for both men — and now each will […]

1 day ago

Sponsored Articles

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

...

SANDERSON FORD

Thank you to Al McCoy for 51 years as voice of the Phoenix Suns

Sanderson Ford wants to share its thanks to Al McCoy for the impact he made in the Valley for more than a half-decade.

...

Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Company looking for oldest air conditioner and wants to reward homeowner with new one

Does your air conditioner make weird noises or a burning smell when it starts? If so, you may be due for an AC unit replacement.

Mulkey-led LSU women reach 1st title game, top Virginia Tech