Angel Reese Not Happy With Refs In LSU’s NCAA Tournament Loss
Angel Reese won’t watch her alma mater play for another national championship.
On Sunday, LSU lost an Elite Eight matchup to UCLA. The Bruins advanced to the Final Four with a 72-65 victory over the 2023 national champions in a rematch of last year’s heated Sweet 16 meeting.
Reese appeared to take issue with the game’s officiating on social media.
“These refs man,” Reese wrote. “SMH.”
Last year, Reese led LSU to a 78-69 win over UCLA with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and four steals. However, the Big Ten squad got revenge on Sunday.
Gabriela Jaquez led UCLA with 18 points and eight assists, and star center Lauren Betts added 17 points and seven boards.
After scoring three points in a Sweet 16 win over NC State, Flau’Jae Johnson responded by tallying 28 points. However, the rest of the LSU squad shot 30 percent (15 of 50) from the floor.
LSU got called for 21 personal fouls to UCLA’s 15. The Tigers made a dozen trips to the foul line, but the Bruins converted 20 of 28 free throws at Spokane Arena.
Reese and other LSU supporters may feel short-changed when noting that discrepancy. Meanwhile, others noted that LSU head coach Kim Mulkey got away with standing on the court inches away from a loose ball.
Either way, LSU’s season is over. Without Reese, the Tigers went 31-6 and exceeded 100 points in consecutive March Madness victories.
Aneesah Morrow stepped into a starring role, leading the Tigers in points (18.8), rebounds (13.7), and steals (2.5) per game. The senior forward finished Sunday’s game despite suffering a broken nose.
Per LSU student reporter Tyler Harden, an emotional Morrow reflected on her collegiate career after LSU’s elimination.
“I put a lot on my shoulders to come out and do what I did every night,” Morrow said. “Nobody in the country did what I did every night. Nobody in the country has done what I did over the four years, and I’m honestly just proud of myself for overcoming as much as I overcame.”
