No. 7 LSU upset by Auburn, 67-62, despite double-doubles by Angel Reese, Aneesah Morrow
Auburn was winless in SEC play until pulling off the signature victory
Auburn secured its first SEC victory of the season in dazzling fashion. The Tigers upset No. 7 LSU, 67-62, at home in front of a record-breaking crowd on Sunday to snap LSU's 16-game winning streak. It's the second time in Auburn program history it has taken down a top-10 team.
Flau'jae Johnson hit a jumper off a steal to pull LSU within two, 64-62, with 1:39 remaining. Kaitlyn Duhon and Jamya Mingo-Young each secured big offensive rebounds as Auburn killed a full minute of clock on the other end. Mingo-Young secured a steal off Angel Reese and hit both free throws to secure the victory.
Each side of Tigers exchanged quarters in the first half, with Auburn winning the first 23-15 and LSU the second 22-11. It was a tight affair from there with seven lead changes as Auburn (12-5, 1-3 SEC) did enough to pull off a signature win. LSU is 16-2 overall and 3-1 in SEC play. The reigning champions hadn't dropped a game since the season opener to Colorado.
Honesty Scott-Grayson scored a team-high 21 points with five rebounds and two assists. Mingo-Young added 13 with five assists and three rebounds. It was a team-wide effort as nine of 10 players who saw minutes scored at least a bucket. They kept up on the boards, 36-34, and four different players hit from 3.
Reese led all scorers with 24 points and 11 rebounds while Aneesah Morrow also had a double-double of 12 points and 15 rebounds. The Tigers controlled the paint points, 42-28.
How LSU lost to Auburn
LSU needed more from its backcourt and missed the big-game production of freshman guard Mikaylah Williams.
Williams is averaging 16.9 ppg, ranking third on LSU behind Reese (19.8) and Morrow (18.6). She's a 50% shooter and LSU's best threat from range at 45.1% from beyond the arc. Her production from day 1 for LSU has been key, and crucial in replacing point guard Alexis Morris' production on the 2022-23 title team.
She never found her shot against Auburn and finished with seven points shooting 30%. She missed the only 3-pointer she attempted and the team went 0-for-2 from distance. They're not a top 3-point shooting team, but collectively hit about four per game. It was the first time this year LSU had not made a 3; its previous low was two in games against Virginia and Northwestern State.
Hailey Van Lith, the transfer from Louisville, also struggled and was 1-of-9 for three points. Johnson scored 12 points shooting 4-of-8, the best outing of the day for LSU. The Tigers couldn't hit as well from the free throw line, either. They were 10 percentage points below their average (16-of-25) overall, going 6-of-10 in the fourth quarter. Offensively, they went 2-of-11 from the field in the final frame.
LSU travels to Alabama for a Thursday game and hosts Arkansas on Sunday in Baton Rouge. The Tigers host No. 1 South Carolina (15-0, 3-0 SEC) on Thursday, Jan. 25 in a game that could decide the SEC title.