Coach Kim Mulkey and the Tigers came away with an excellent win over East Texas Baptist in last night’s exhibition. The final score was a dominant 99-26, and after the game, LSU women’s basketball players Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow reacted to playing an opposing team for the first time in 2023.
LSU women’s basketball players Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow were excited to get out and play loose
The day has finally come and gone. For both Tiger fans and LSU women’s basketball players alike, everyone anxiously awaited the chance to see what the 2023-24 season had in store for the purple and gold.
The team looked about as dominant as anyone could hope. The Tigers came away with a 99-26 victory over East Texas Baptist and likely could have scored 100 if they wanted to.
However, did the team feel as good as it looked?
“It felt great being able to go out there and play together as a team,” said junior Aneesah Morrow. “I know that all summer long, we’ve been working hard and competing against each other, but actually playing against another team was fun tonight.”
Former DePaul star Aneesah Morrow was one of several headliners to join the Tiger program in the offseason. However, she wasn’t the only one excited to play against another team last night.
Former Louisville guard Hailey Van Lith shared her sentiment, understanding just how important game experience can be.
“I think it felt as expected,” said grad student Hailey Van Lith. “We have a lot of new pieces, a lot of people who have never played college basketball before. So, just getting that in-game experience, you got to take the ups with the downs.”
Last night’s exhibition vs. East Texas Baptist gave new players a chance to see the court but also experienced players to get into a flow.
“We just wanted to get out and play loose and play free – everybody get the nerves out,” Van Lith elaborated. “I think that’s what was given to us. We had a lot of transition opportunities.”
Excited, but nowhere near satisfied
In their debut at the PMAC, transfer additions Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow shined bright vs. East Texas Baptist. Van Lith scored nine, while Morrow scored 10 to go along with an impressive nine rebounds.
However, the LSU women’s basketball players understand that it was only an exhibition and there’s plenty of room to improve.
“I tried to just take what the other team gave me,” said Van Lith. “Personally, I think that there were a lot of moments where we were inconsistent – especially from me as an individual. So, I think there’s a lot of really good things that we can go back and watch film on and get better at.”
Getting better is always the ultimate goal and a big reason why teams like coach Mulkey and the Tigers play exhibitions like these.
The Tigers will take the court for their second exhibition of 2023 on Wednesday, November 1, vs. Loyola (New Orleans).
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