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'They came here to see us:' LSU women's basketball unfazed by Ole Miss record crowd
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- 'They came here to see us:' LSU women's basketball unfazed by Ole Miss record crowd
Kim Mulkey and LSU women's basketball are no strangers to playing in front of large crowds.
Dating back to last season, fans, and jeerers in most cases, have come out in arenas at other schools and neutral sites games to catch budding stars Angel Reese or Flau'jae Johnson as well as Mulkey to cheer or boo them.
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No. 7 LSU's first Southeastern Conference road game at Ole Miss Sunday afternoon drew record numbers for the home team's building, with more than 9,000 in attendance inside the Pavilion.
The Tigers outlasted the Rebels, 84-73, in a raucous environment and a chaotic game that was close until the fourth quarter.
Coming off an NCAA championship last season, hostile gymnasiums have become routine for the Tigers. And to Mulkey's players, she said, it's all about them and their show. They embrace it.
"They view that crowd, and this is what competitors do, they view that crowd as their crowd," Mulkey said after her team's victory Sunday. "They came here to see us.
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"When you have that mindset, the louder it gets, you kind of block it out. It doesn't factor into anything going on on the floor. Kudos to Ole Miss, I thought it was a good, competitive game today."
Ole Miss trailed by 13 at halftime but closed within 67-62 to enter the fourth quarter. LSU had foul trouble and turned the ball over while struggling against the Rebels' defense.
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As the game tightened, Mulkey said the team's experience surfaced, leaning heavily on Reese and Johnson, to help recollect control as the final period progressed. LSU (15-1, 2-0) outscored Ole Miss, 17 to 11, to close out the game.
"You've got two kids out there that have national championships rings, Flau'jae Johnson and Angel Reese. I have so much confidence they can control their teammates. And you just don't get rattled," Mulkey said.
"Now you've got two others that have been in college three or four years that are transfers. I'm sure they've been in big games, too. Other than Mikaylah (Williams) being a freshman, some of them are pretty experienced players."
At various points during game, "L-S-U" chants broke out in the Pavilion from the purple and gold contingency in attendance.
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But Mulkey credited Rebels coach Yolette McPhee-McCuin and her program for where they're at and the excitement she's built.
"Ole Miss fans need to keep doing that. You have a good team. You have a team that was in the Sweet 16 last year," Mulkey said. "They play hard. Most important, they play defense and I love that."
Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers and Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU/UL athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com .
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Kim Mulkey says LSU women's basketball unfazed by Ole Miss crowd
