It was a thrilling game to conclude an eventful season! The Louisiana State University Tigers (34-2) beat the Iowa Hawkeyes (31-7) 102-85 to take home their first NCAA championship win in program history.
Just as they did for most of the season, LSU outrebounded the opposition – especially on offense. The Tigers profited from 19 Hawkeye turnovers, scoring 26 points off of them. Additionally, LSU's bench outperformed the Hawkeyes', 30-8.
LSU pulled away in the second quarter, outscoring Iowa 32-20. The Tigers made nine of their 11 3-point attempts. The Tigers not only defeated the country's top-ranked offense, but they did so using their trademark style of play. They also set a new record for points scored in a championship game, with the 102nd point coming on a 3-pointer.
Related: In NIT to Win it: Men's and Women's NIT Recap
Jasmine Carson led the LSU in scoring with a season-high 22 points, including 7 of 8 shots from beyond the arc. After averaging just 13 points per game leading up to the championship game, Carson had a breakout performance.
“It was a surreal moment,” Carson said. “Every player dreams of being on a big stage like this and having the game of your life, and for it to come to fruition — it meant a lot.”
“Jasmine may be the second-best pure shooter that I've ever coached in my career,” LSU head coach Kim Mulkey said. “She can just light it up. When we got in foul trouble and we had three starters sitting over there early in the first half, or the first and second quarter, I thought just keep it close until I can get them back on the floor. That's what's going through your mind.”
LSU's bench made all the difference in Sunday night's matchup. “When those guys got in there and they extended the lead and scored with Iowa, I thought ‘this is going to be a fun night,'” Mulkey recalled. “They didn't just keep it close. They went in, and they attacked.”
Related: Celebrating Women's History Month: The Top 10 Historic Moments in Women's Sports
Along with setting the record for most points in a title game, multiple other records were broken. LSU scored 32 points to Iowa's 20 in the second quarter, leading 59-42 at halftime.
The Tigers made history by becoming just the third No. 3 seeded team to win the title and the first in over two decades.
Angel Reese's 15-point, 10-rebound performance gives her the record for most double-doubles (34) in a single season. A championship cannot be achieved without a team effort, and most of LSU's came together at the start of with nine new players — including Carson and Reese. The only starter from last season was Alexis Morris.
On the other side, Caitlin Clark's 30 points for Iowa led all scorers and set a new record for most points scored in a single NCAA tournament.
At the end of the game, Mulkey had crouched down in her signature sideline position and was moved to tears by the sight of all the fans wearing purple and gold. Mulkey earns her fourth title as a coach, becoming the first woman in history to lead multiple programs to a national championship.
Have an idea for a story or a question you need answered? Want to set up an interview with us? Email us at [email protected]
Image Credit: The Gazette
* Originally published on April 10, 2023, by Kelly Wick
