Georgia will wait nine days to learn its NCAA Tournament fate after falling to No. 4 LSU 83-66 in the SEC Women’s Tournament quarterfinals Friday night in Greenville, S.C.
The game was slowed by a weather delay of about 45 minutes due to a bad storm and a leaky roof at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena that sent the teams to their locker rooms for a stretch of the second quarter.
The Bulldogs (21-11) had come in winning six of their last seven and appear to have done enough in Kim Abrahamson-Henderson’s debut season as coach to make the NCAA Tournament. It would be Georgia’s third straight trip to the field of 68.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Alexis Morris scored 28 points and Flau’jae Johnson had 21 for the Tigers.
Morris and Johnson each had five 3s for the second-seeded Tigers (28-1), who will take on third-seeded Tennessee on Saturday night for a trip to Sunday’s championship game.
LSU entered off four straight wins since its lone loss to SEC champion South Carolina on Feb. 12. Coach Kim Mulkey had a modest goal coming in — win her first SEC Tournament game since taking the job after they lost their tourney opener a year ago.
Morris took care of that early with three 3-pointers in fewer than four minutes as the Tigers took a 14-4 lead.
LSU, which averages five 3s a game this season, kept up its barrage from long distance throughout and ended with 11 to tie its season high.
SEC scoring and rebounding leader Angel Reese missed a double-double for just the second time this season, finishing with 15 points and six rebounds.
Alisha Lewis led Georgia with 14 points. Diamond Battles, the Bulldogs’ leading scorer, finished with just seven points on 2-of-12 shooting.
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