GREENVILLE, S.C. — So much for Kim Mulkey’s timelines and cautions against expecting too much, too soon at LSU.
Two years in, and Mulkey’s return to lead her home-state women’s basketball program already includes another Final Four trip — and dreams of more.
Angel Reese had 18 rebounds and LSU returned to the Final Four for the first time in 15 years by beating Miami 54-42 on Sunday night, carrying a rapid rise under Mulkey straight to the sport’s biggest stage.
Alexis Morris scored 21 points and Reese added 13 for the third-seeded Tigers (32-2), who asserted control of a grinding, defense-first game. LSU’s length caused Miami problems even with Reese — an AP first-team All-American — having a brutal shooting day, and the Tigers offset their offensive hiccups by dominating the glass.
Not bad for a group that began with nine new players, with Morris as the lone returning starter.