No. 6 LSU Faces No. 16 Tennessee in High-Stakes SEC Women’s Basketball Clash

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 6 LSU (17-0, 2-0 SEC) will face a road test against No. 16 Tennessee (13-1, 1-1 SEC) at 5:30 p.m. CT on Thursday at Thompson-Boling Arena. The game, streamed exclusively on SEC Network+, marks LSU’s first road game against a ranked opponent this season.

Tennessee, coming off its first loss of the season to No. 9 Oklahoma, looks to bounce back against an undefeated LSU squad. The Lady Vols nearly overcame a 16-point deficit in their previous game but fell short by one point. LSU, one of five remaining unbeaten teams in the nation, boasts the longest active win streak in college basketball.

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey emphasized the importance of the SEC schedule, stating, ‘Every game matters, but every game is not make or break. You win the games you’re supposed to win, beat somebody you’re not supposed to beat, and take care of business at home.’

LSU’s Aneesah Morrow is on the brink of a historic milestone, needing just 14 points to reach 2,500 in her career and 33 rebounds to hit 1,500. Only six players in NCAA Division I history have achieved both feats. Morrow leads the nation with 15 double-doubles and 14.0 rebounds per game.

Tennessee, under first-year head coach Kim Caldwell, has adopted a fast-paced, high-pressure style of play. The Lady Vols rank second nationally with a +12.6 turnover margin and lead the country in forcing 27.6 turnovers per game. Their offense averages 97.3 points per game, the highest in the nation, while LSU ranks third with 91.7 points per game.

Mulkey acknowledged the challenge of facing Tennessee’s press, saying, ‘You cannot turn the ball over against their press. It’s more of a run-and-jump press with a lot of length and quickness. You have to really work hard to keep them off the offensive boards.’

Defensively, LSU holds opponents to a conference-best 33.8% shooting from the field, while Tennessee ranks last in the SEC with a 44.5% field goal defense. The Lady Vols’ aggressive style has also led to vulnerabilities, allowing 67.4 points per game, ranking 15th in the SEC.

Tennessee’s reliance on three-point shooting is another key factor. The Lady Vols lead the nation with 12 made threes per game on 37 attempts, despite playing fewer games than most teams in the SEC.

Thursday’s matchup promises to be a high-scoring affair, with both teams among the top offensive units in the country. The outcome could have significant implications for SEC standings and NCAA Tournament seeding as the season progresses.