We’re just days away from LSU women’s basketball vs. UCLA in the Sweet 16, and the Tigers will need to bring their A-game if they have any plans of continuing their March Madness run towards the Elite Eight. Most notably, they’ll need everything they can get out of LSU senior guard Hailey Van Lith, who will be tasked with some much needed defensive intensity over the coming week.
LSU women’s basketball isn’t in the Sweet 16 without Hailey Van Lith
For LSU senior guard Hailey Van Lith, the first half of the Tiger matchup vs. MTSU was anything but pretty. In fact, coming out of the tunnel, the talented former transfer portal addition looked anything but satisfied, getting the second half started by sitting on the bench, as per coach Kim Mulkey’s decision.
Still, the second half adjustment wasn’t due to a lack of trust from the Tiger head coach. If anything, it may have just fueled the fire inside the talented guard, and she came out with some much needed intensity mid-way through the third quarter.
“Hailey. I told Hailey, ‘We’ve got to cut the head off the snake.’ And she really took that challenge on, cause their point guard, she’s little but she’s mighty. And she makes things happen for them, and she breaks down defenses,” sophomore guard Flau’jae Johnson said of her halftime discussion with Van Lith. “So Hailey gave us the opportunity to be able to get into some passing lanes, for the bigs to be able to work their mojo. So, that’s all Hailey Van Lith right there.”
Entering the second half of the second round matchup, LSU women’s basketball found themselves down four, and not much was going their way. The defensive intensity wasn’t there and shots simply weren’t falling.
In turn, someone needed to come in and make plays happen. While it wasn’t necessarily working on the offensive side of the ball, Hailey Van Lith ended up being the woman for the job on defense.
While she only recorded one steal on the day, it was her intensity and willingness to guard the Blue Raiders’ best player that turned out to be the difference maker.
“I was very proud of Hailey today. She doesn’t start the second half – for no other reason other than the coaches decision – and that child worked her rear end off in the second half defensively,” coach Kim Mulkey said to the media during the postgame press conference. “And as Flau’jae said, she set the tone for us to pick our energy up on the defensive end. She’s just trying to do something in her career before college ends for her, and that’s to try to win a championship. I just told her how unselfish she was today to let me start Poa. She didn’t ask why. She didn’t pout. She went out there and did her job.”
As it turned out, that’s all the Tigers needed from her. After trailing at the half, LSU women’s basketball would go on to win the game 83-56 in dominant fashion, and now, it’s onto the Sweet 16.
The LSU senior guard will need to play a pivotal role in Sweet 16 matchup vs. UCLA
While her teammates and coach were right in throwing credit her way as far as defensive intensity went, her struggles on offense turned out to be concerning, to say the very least. After scoring just four points on the day, including one total made basket, it became clear relatively early on that her teammates would need to step up.
Lucky for the purple and gold, just about everyone on the roster is capable of scoring in bunches, which means an off night isn’t the end of the world, or in this case, the season. Still, with UCLA awaiting the Tigers in the Sweet 16, we’ve got a very different matchup to keep an eye on heading into the weekend.
Led by talented 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts, scoring down low is no easy task when facing the Bruins. In turn, it wouldn’t surprise to see some early struggles from either Angel Reese or Aneesah Morrow on the offensive side of the ball.
With that, it’ll be up to the guards to take their moment to shine. Luckily, the Tigers aren’t exactly lacking for scoring ability at the guard position. Just last year, Van Lith averaged 19.7 points per game for Louisville, while Flau’jae Johnson is averaging 14.4 per game this season.
Additionally, the LSU senior guard’s defensive intensity that her teammates spoke about after last weeks game will be needed once again, as the UCLA guards are more than capable of shooting from deep, each averaging better than 30 percent from beyond the arc.
When it comes to women’s college basketball, it would be unrealistic to not expect off-days in terms of a scoring performance. With that said, it’s all about how you bounce back, and Hailey Van Lith has an excellent opportunity to show what she’s capable of in the upcoming Sweet 16 matchup vs. the Bruins.
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