LSU guard Flau'Jae Johnson' had 24 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Tigers to a come from behind victory over upstart UCLA on Saturday in the NCAA Women's Tournament.
Only a few minutes earlier, it certainly did not feel that way. UCLA held a three-point lead with 2:46 left, having erased a 10-point deficit. The season appeared on the brink for the reigning national champions. Until Johnson andgot to work. With the season on the line, the two players drew critical fouls. Reese made her free throws with 1:46 to go to give LSU the lead. Johnson made hers with 1:33 to build on the lead.
From there, the Tigers had control -- especially after Johnson drove to the rim for a layup with 44.4 seconds left to extend the lead to four. The LSU fans roared. The Tigers would survive Saturday in Albany and advance to the Elite Eight -- keeping alive their chances to repeat.
But UCLA started to chip away at the lead in the third quarter, particularly after Reese went to the bench with her third foul. Long-range shots finally started falling --UCLA had the lead. Then LSU fought back. Then it was tied. Then the lead changed. On and on it went until the final minute and a half, when the Tigers were simply too much for UCLA to handle. Reese was limited for long stretches in foul trouble, but when the team needed her, she made the most of her time on the floor.
She finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Johnson led all scorers with 24 points, adding 12 rebounds. And just before leaving the court toward the locker room, she came back to the LSU section one more time, smiling her biggest smile. Knowing exactly what that win means.
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