A RIPPING offensive performance from guard Alexis Morris has seen the LSU Tigers sneak past the Tennessee Volunteers by eight points on Monday night.

The Tigers came into the match undefeated having won their last 20 matches, but faced a serious push from a brave Tennessee side that kept itself in the match until the dying stages of the game. However, LSU has earned the number three seed, and proved marginally too good when the game was there to be won.

Win number 21 for the Tigers could not have been secured if not for the performance of Morris, who had a game-high points total and showed no signs of fatigue despite playing all 40 minutes of the match.

Tennessee Volunteers (68) def. by LSU Tigers (76)

Alexis Morris – 31 points, six rebounds, three rebounds, five steals

Morris was the standout player on the court in what was a stirring win for the Tigers, taking advantage of the amount of attention the Volunteers were paying to Angel Reese (18 points, 17 rebounds) in the post.

Her 31 points against Tennessee was a career-high total, showing an untapped level of aggressiveness we have not seen before.

She was outstanding in the clutch, delivering a number of crucial plays down the stretch and producing match-winning lay-ups that set the home crowd alight. The Volunteers had put themselves within striking distance in the fourth quarter, before Morris led the Tigers to an 11-0 run, which put the game to bed.

The guard shot 11/23 from the field, putting the team on her back and showing no hesitation to attack the paint as the defence collapsed in on her teammates. Morris also shot an efficient 8/9 from the free throw line, punishing the opposition whenever they were ill-disciplined on the defensive end.

Her five steals were also a game-high, and played a big role in her success on the offensive end. Once she intercepted a pass or stripped the ball-handler, she took the ball downcourt herself and often scoring in transition.

Morris was simply terrific in the best game of her NCAAW career, providing a thorn in Tennessee’s side all game long. Despite playing the entirety of the match, she showed no signs of slowing down and some of her biggest plays came late in the match. It was a truly result-altering performance and got LSU over the line.