SEC Tournament Preview: Kim Mulkey, LSU To Face Auburn on Friday

No. 2 seed LSU dialed in for another matchup against Auburn, meet again in Greenville.

No. 2 seed LSU will begin its postseason on Friday against No. 7 Seed Auburn in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals at 5 p.m. CT on the SEC Network in Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

Friday’s game will air on the SEC Network with Courtney Lyle and Carolyn Peck. Patrick Wright and Shaeeta Williams will call the action on the LSU Sports Radio Network. With a win LSU would play Saturday at 6 p.m. and if the Tigers won there, they would advance to the SEC Championship on Sunday at 2 p.m. on ESPN.

“I think we’re right where we need to be,” Coach Kim Mulkey said. “We’ve improved defensively. We know a little bit more about each other now than we did months ago. I think we have a hunger in that locker room still; there’s a lot that don’t have a ring. I think we have an opportunity to do some good things in the SEC Tournament and if we don’t, it’s not the end of the season. The most important is after the SEC Tournament.”

The Tigers enter postseason play on an eight-game winning streak, playing its best basketball of the season. Defense has been the key in LSU’s improved play. Throughout the streak LSU has not allowed an opponent to score more than 66 points or shoot better than .375 from the field.

This year will mark Coach Mulkey’s third trip to the SEC Tournament leading LSU where the Tigers are the No. 2 seed for the third consecutive season. In Coach Mulkey’s first year, LSU was taken down by Kentucky in the quarterfinals who went on to win the tournament. Last season the Tigers won one game and made it to the semifinals, but gave up a 17-point second half lead to the Lady Vols.

On Tuesday, LSU was featured heavily in the postseason SEC honors. Angel Reese became the third Tiger to win SEC Player of the Year and was also First Team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive team. Mikaylah Williams became the second LSU player in a row to earn SEC Freshman of the Year and was on the All-Freshman team. Aneesah Morrow was First Team All-SEC, Flau’Jae Johnson was Second Team All-SEC and Aalyah Del Rosario was on the All-Freshman team.

For LSU, Williams is questionable to play in Greenville. She sat out Sunday’s regular season finale against Kentucky with a minor ankle injury. Coach Mulkey said that Williams could have played, but their aim is to have her at full strength for the NCAA Tournament.

Auburn beat Arkansas on Thursday to make it to the quarterfinal. LSU and Auburn split their two games in the regular season, both teams winning on their home court. Auburn held LSU to its two lowest scoring games of the season as its guards played physical defense and made it difficult for LSU to execute its offense. Both games also mark the two lowest field goal attempts for LSU this season. LSU shot the ball over 40-percent in both games, but it was the defensive improvement that allowed the Tigers to win the second matchup, limited Auburn to shoot .375 from the field compared to .441 in the first game.