March Madness: Morris, LSU women top Utah, into Elite Eight

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — LaDazhia Williams wasdetermined to extend her career. Thanks to her best game of theseason, her LSU teammates will get to keep playing, too.

“I’m not ready to home,” she said. “We already know where wewant to go.”

Williams and the third-seeded Tigers reached the Elite Eight forthe first time in 15 years, holding off No. 2 seed Utah 66-63 onFriday night.

Williams had a season-high 24 points to boost LSU (31-2).

Alexis Morris, another fifth-year transfer like Williams, had 15points. Her two foul shots with 10 seconds left put LSU ahead forgood, 64-63. She later made two more free throws.

“We’re just hungry right now,” Morris said. “I know we’re fueledup and we’re fired up. We’re one game away from going to the FinalFour.”

Angel Reese added 17 points and 12 rebounds for her 31st doubledouble of the season.

Coach Kim Mulkey’s Tigers can reach their first Final Four since2008 on Sunday night when they face No. 9 seed Miami to close theGreenville 2 Regional. The Hurricanes overcame fourth-seededVillanova and the nation’s leading scorer Maddy Siegrist 70-65earlier at the Greenville 2 Regional.

“I think we fought hard all four quarters,” Reese said. “We’vebeen through so much from the beginning to the end, so I’m justsuper happy for this team.”

Not that there weren’t some anxious moments at the end.

Down 64-63, the Utes had a chance to back in front, but JennaJohnson — a near 75% foul shooter — missed both attempts with 4.7seconds to go. Utah’s Dasia Young had her hands on the rebound, butLSU’s Sa’Maya Smith took it away.

Morris made two more foul shots for a three-point lead. The Uteshad a final chance, but Young’s 3-point try from the left cornerhit the side of the backboard as time expired.

Utah coach Lynne Roberts had her arm around Johnson on the benchafter the misses.

“I don’t think that’ll happen again if she gets that opportunityagain, knowing her, the competitor she is,” Roberts said.

LSU hadn’t advance this far since reaching the Final Four 15years ago. This is Mulkey’s second season coaching the Tigers.

Williams, who played at South Carolina and Missouri beforejoining LSU, was dominant down low as she made 11 of 14 shots andfinished a point shy of her career best.

Gianna Kneepkens led Utah (27-5) with 20 points. Alissa Pili, asecond-team AP All-American, had 14 points, but took just eightshots as LSU denied her the ball. She fouled out in the finalminute.

Reese, Poole and fellow LSU starter Flau’jae Johnson fouled outin the final minutes.

BIG PICTURE

LSU: The Tigers are out for more and it starts against underdogMiami on Sunday. If Williams can continue her inside play tocombine with All-American Reese, LSU will be tough to handle.

Utah: The Utes are coming off a season where they achieved bigthings, including back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for thefirst time since 2008 and 2009. Utah can be every bit as successfulnext season with Pili, just a junior, back to lead the way.

MULKEY’S OUTFIT

Mulkey, known as a flamboyant dresser, had on a multi-coloredjacket that appeared to include feathers on both sleeves. Mulkeysaid the designer was sending her another outfit to wear Sunday inthe Elite Eight game. “We told her this is probably her best (out)fit,” Williams said.

SPECIAL GUEST

LSU football coach Brian Kelly took a break from the Tigersspring football workouts to cheer on his school’s women’sbasketball team. Kelly sat in the front row across from the LSUbench, following the action intently in the tight contest. Thefootball Tigers are coming off a 10-4 season where they won the SECWestern Division in Kelly’s first season.

TOUGH SPOT

Johnson had made 74.8% of her free throws on the season, thoughshe had made just 5 of 11 in the two tournament wins againstGardner-Webb and Princeton. Her first free throw fell short of therim, causing LSU fans to get even louder to up the intensity beforeher second shot, which rattled out.

“I don’t think the noise so much affected me,” Johnson said, hereyes welling with tears. “I don’t know, maybe in my head a littlebit from the first one. But I don’t know.”