Pointer, Aifuwa lead No. 14 LSU women past Mississippi 68-64
Feb 7, 2022, 4:39 AM | Updated: 6:44 pm
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Khayla Pointer and Faustine Aifuwa had a triple-double and double-double respectively and No. 14 LSU held off a late rally by Mississippi, defeating the Rebels 68-64 on Monday night.
Pointer had 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for the Tigers (19-4, 7-3 SEC) and Aifuwa had 20 points and 14 rebounds. Alexis Morris added 17 points.
LSU led 59-47 after Aifuwa hit a jumper with 5:19 remaining. The Rebels chipped away at the lead and drew within 64-59 with 1:38 remaining. LSU went to the line four times in the next minute and a half, each time making 1 of 2, but the Rebels gained no ground, themselves making only 1 of 4 free throws. A layup by Mississippi’s Angel Baker cut the margin to four at game’s end.
Pointer scored eight points in the first six minutes of the third quarter, helping LSU build a 44-35 lead. Layups by Aifuwa and Alexis Morris pushed the lead to 11 at 49-38. Pointer finished with eight points in the quarter and LSU took a 51-44 lead into the final period.
Baker scored 20 points off the bench for Mississippi (18-5, 6-4). Shakira Austin scored 11 points, Lashonda Monk had 10 points, and Madison Scott had 15 rebounds.
It was LSU’s eighth consecutive win against the Rebels and the Tigers lead the series 40-22.
Mississippi wore pink uniforms as several teams across the country are participating in Play4Kay, a fundraising initiative of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. The intent is to encourage “players, coaches, officials, and fans to do something for the greater good that far exceeds wins and losses in competition,” according to kayyow.com.
Yow, the longtime coach at North Carolina State, won more than 700 games in her career, led her teams to 20 of 27 NCAA Tournaments, with 11 trips to the Sweet 16, and a trip to the Elite Eight and the Final Four in 1998.
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