Sunday's game between LSU women's basketball and Kentucky was one of the most important games of the SEC schedule for both sides. It lived up to the hype, as the Tigers (27-2, 12-2 SEC) led the comeback against the Wildcats (21-5, 10-4), 65-58.
After falling behind double digits at the half, LSU battled back and took the lead by the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth, Kentucky woke up. UK rallied to turn a seven-point deficit into a one-point lead, and both sides traded the lead in the closing minutes of regulation. Despite a cold start to the fourth, a Makayla Williams 3-pointer with under a minute left proved to be the dagger for the Tigers' largest comeback of the season.
Trailing by just one basket entering the second quarter, LSU had a chance to swing momentum back to its side. Instead, the Tigers had one of the season's worst stretches of basketball at one of the most inopportune times.
For the first six minutes of the quarter, LSU had only scored four points. Meanwhile, Kentucky capitalized. The Wildcats responded with a 12-0 run, and at one point led by as many as 16. Fortunately for the Tigers, they settled down and managed to cut the deficit to only 12 points by halftime.
That run near the end of the second quarter shifted the momentum for the start of the third.
In a nearly-perfect flip from the start of the second, LSU scored 17 points in the opening seven minutes to begin the third. In doing so, the Tigers managed to take their first lead of the afternoon late in the period after spending most of the contest trailing. The defense also did its job, limiting UK to only six points in the third.
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With the SEC Tournament fast approaching, every February game means just a little more for tournament seeding.
Both sides could have clinched a top-four seed — and the double-bye in Greenville next month — with a win, although Kentucky also needed some help with an Ole Miss win Sunday. As a result of their win, the Tigers will finish no worse than fourth in the conference.
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LSU will travel to face Alabama on Thursday night at 8 p.m. CT.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU women's basketball leads comeback to pull off win vs. Kentucky
