LSU's Angel Reese Looks to Make History Against Alabama

Tigers take on the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Reese prepared to make history.

No. 3 LSU (19-0, 7-0 SEC) is set to take on Alabama (15-4, 4-2 SEC) Monday night in Coleman Coliseum at 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network as Angel Reese looks to set the LSU record for consecutive double-doubles, having one in every game this season.

It will be the Tigers’ first of two straight Monday night games as they are slated to face off against Tennessee next Monday in Baton Rouge in a game where LSU will white-out the PMAC.

The game will air on the SEC Network with Sam Gore and Steffi Sorensen. Patrick Wright and Jeff Palermo will call the game on the LSU Sports Radio Network, 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge.

The Tigers are looking to become just the second LSU team from any sport to begin a season 20-0 as they are currently tied with the 1997 baseball team that won its first 19 games before dropping one. The 2015 softball team had the best start in LSU athletics history, starting the season 25-0.

In LSU’s thrilling, 79-76, win on Thursday night over Arkansas, Reese went for 30 points and 19 rebounds to record her 19th consecutive double-doubles and tie the LSU record that Sylvia Fowles set in 2006-07. Reese, who has put her name firmly in contention for national player of the year, is averaging 24.2 points and 15.6 rebounds per game.

In the win over Arkansas multiple other players stepped up. Flau’jae Johnson continued to show why she belongs towards the top of the SEC Freshman of the Year conversation, putting up 19 points and bringing down six rebounds (she is averaging 14.2 points and 6.3 rebounds this year). She also went 4-4 from the free throw line in the game’s final 16 seconds to ice the game away.

“If there’s a better freshman in this league – look at her stats,” Coach Kim Mulkey said.

“She (Coach Mulkey) really believed in what I wanted to do as with my music and playing basketball,” Johnson said. “I feel like she had the confidence in me because I’m in the gym a lot. I’m steady perfecting my craft.”

LaDazhia Williams notched her first double-double of the season Thursday night with a strong 11 point, 12 rebounds performance. Jasmine Carson had 10 points and led LSU with 4 assists.

Alexis Morris struggled to get going through the first three quarters. But when LSU found itself trailing for the first time in 188 game minutes and the first time this season in the fourth quarter, Morris came through in the clutch. On the court she told the team not to panic and to stay calm and poised and then in the clutch she hit a big three from the right wing to tie the game and then hit a floater to give LSU the lead back, one the Tigers would not relinquish.

“I told Alexis that big players make big shots at the right time and I told her to step up and make some of those shots,” Reese said after the game.

Alabama, like Arkansas, is a team the loves to shoot the ball from long range as the Crimson Tide lead the SEC with 9.1 made threes per game at a SEC-leading .388 clip. Although the Tigers do not take nearly as many threes as Alabama does, they rank second in the SEC with a .378 mark from behind the arc. Alabama has six players who shoot 35-percent or better from behind the arc. Brittany Davis is the only Crimson Tide player to average in double figures as she scores 17.6 points per game.

“Alabama’s a little built different than Arkansas,” Coach Mulkey said. “We know they will shoot the three-ball, but I think – Kristy (Curry), Kelly (Curry) and I – we worked together at Louisiana Tech, we butted heads when I was at Baylor and they were at Texas Tech; she’s a good friend of mine. It’s going to be a battle.”

Coach Mulkey and Alabama Coach Curry go way back having coached together at Louisiana Tech where they served as assistants together from 1996-99. During Coach Mulkey’s tenure at Baylor, she coached against Curry in Big 12 play when Curry was the head coach at Texas Tech from 2006-13. She has been at Alabama ever since.