Anesah Morrow Hauls Lsu in the third eight Elite eight: “One you want in your team”

Spokane, Wash. – that Anesah Morrow grabbed his 19th and last rebound of the game while the weather almost expired on Friday evening was appropriate. The ball clearly belonged to the hands of the player who had launched this team in his back several times this season.

At the end of the game, since NC State had Jockey for positioning trying to close the game, things seemed dangerous for LSU. Outside Morrow, none of the tigers had been completely consistent in four quarters. Flau’jae Johnson, top scorer of the LSU, had been held without a score until the third quarter and a collision of the fourth quarter would put him to the test for the rest of the game. Mikaylah Williams, the third member of the Big Three of the LSU with Morrow and Johnson, had started the cold game, going to 4 out of 14 from the floor for only 9 points in the first three quarters.

In the meantime, NC State has had a carousel of players who intensified and made the load, without ever allowing the shorts to bring too much balloons, mounting their late return to drive for most of the fourth quarter.

In a late timeout, Morrow looked at his teammates and implored them: Personally take your matchups. Don’t let that person spick you. And if everyone does it individually, LSU will not lose as a team. Take it personally.

It seemed that if Morrow could have physically taken some of the chip that is located on his shoulders perpetually, he would have.

Because for tomorrow, this is the game: it is completely personal. Each bucket marked on her, every rebound that does not get, every time her opponents end with more blocks, more stolen, more points, more anything, this means that she has not done her work for her team. This means that it was not good enough. It is that mentality that helped the LSU to an 80-73 victory over the state of seed n. 2 In the Sweet 16 to earn a journey to his third consecutive elite elite.

AS. THAT. 😈

📺espn pic.twitter.com/iehix0noic

– LSU female basketball (@LSUWBKB) March 29, 2025

“It’s about dominating your opponent and your matchup,” Morrow said. “Nobody wants to leave the game as” Oh, it cooked me and we lost. “… you can’t sleep in the evening after those games where you know you should have won and you can pay attention to the details while you have the game in your hand.”

6 feet 1 (generously measured), every move tomorrow makes this mentality on the floor. Her activity around the basket and the incessant energy of rebound allow her – even when it gives up 4 or 5 inches to the opponents – to win most of the battles. On Friday evening, in a game where LSU desperately needed someone to bring the load, Morrow raised his hand. He finished with 30 points, 19 rebounds, two blocks and three thefts. His nine offensive rebounds were only a shy of the total of the NC state team.

When Merrow moved to LSU from Depaul before last season, the technical staff of the tigers loved Morrow’s mentality and the chip on his shoulders, who now occupy a part of their locker room. They saw him in the film, in his visit, in his first practices. Even checking Angel Reese, an all-American that came out of a national title, Morrow did not want to lose a thumb, let alone possession.

“It’s a mentality that has through life,” said coach assistant Gary Redus. “It was not classified in high school, she felt clouded. She went to Depoul and she was all American, but she felt clouded, as if not people spoke about her enough. So she moved and came here, and last year, she felt as if she had had an all American season and nobody talked about it.

“Take everything personal.”

Redus would know. He is usually the task of going against Morrow in practices. Even at 6-6, when he gets a rebound on her or denies his positioning, he knows that he is returning stronger to the next possession. This is why he gets so much joy by looking at her from the bench, because he sees when he arrives at his points on the floor or once he activates his speed to navigate around a player, he will have the upper hand.

For LSU this season, Morrow’s engine has been crucial for its success. It has an average of 18 points and 14 rebounds per game and it was a constant foundation of the production for the tigers while looking for depths in their support cast in the wake of Reese’s departure at Wnba. Even without the same cohesion or support around the three greats, LSU’s resilience showed. The tigers have lost only five games this season and only one for double figures (10 points for the South Carolina). In the games decided for 9 or less points, LSU is 7-4 (and it was tomorrow, Johnson or both in two of these losses).

Battle on the glass 🔜🤣#MarchMadness X @Reese10angel X @LSUWBKB pic.twitter.com/nlifknfz4d

– NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnesswbb) March 29, 2025

The LSU Kim Mulkey coach indicates three aspects that help the teams win those close -up matches: the elderly, leader and competitors.

Tomorrow, he has all three.

“It works only,” Mulkey said. “It is a post -gaocator underfall there in combat of older girls, asking the ball, guarding the perimeter … is only what you want in your team.”

While the LSU passes to the Eight elite, combining the 6-7 Lauren Betts or Ole Miss’ 6-3 of Ole Miss, Morrow understands that he may not be favored. All right. It welcomes this extra level of doubt. At this point, challenging expectations is almost its comfort zone. His game plan for both will be the same, and exactly what has been throughout the season and during his entire career: you take so personally that he has no other choice than win.

“I never want to get out of a game and feel as if I were dominated. My goal is to dominate my opponent or simply dominate the post in general,” he said. “I could be undersized, but I have been making history as a great undersized. I have been doing it since I was in high school. I will not move away from my strengths for anyone else.”

(Photo: Steph Chamber / Getty Images)