DALLAS — Jasmine Carson came off the bench to score 21 of her 22 points in the first half, and LSU defeated Iowa 102-85 to win the program’s first NCAA women’s basketball national title on Sunday.
The Tigers (34-2) were playing in their first national championship game, but it was the fourth NCAA crown for LSU coach Kim Mulkey, who had three titles while coaching at Baylor. She became the first women’s basketball coach to lead two different teams to national titles, according to ESPN.
LSU was able to overcome the scoring punch of Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, who finished with 30 points. The Tigers had five players finish in double figures. In addition to Carson, Ladazhia Williams scored 20 points. Alexis Morris chipped in with 21 — including 19 in the second half. Angel Reese added 15 and Flau’Jae Johnson added 10 points.
The game was played before a sold-out crowd at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
LSU ON TOP 🐯
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) April 2, 2023
The Tigers score the most points in a Women's National Championship to win their first-ever Tournament title 🏆 pic.twitter.com/5GD6wIbagP
Clark scored 14 points in the first quarter but was held to two free throws in the second period as she went to the bench with three fouls.
Iowa finished its season at 31-7.
Despite trailing by 17 points at the half, the Hawkeyes cut into LSU’s lead, outscoring the Tigers 22-16 as Clark scored nine points. The Hawkeyes chopped LSU’s lead to 11, 75-64, as the fourth quarter began.
But the Tigers continued to apply the pressure on the Hawkeyes, stifling the rally to win going away. The Tigers’ 102 points is a record for most points scored by one team in a championship game, according to The Sporting News.
LSU was 9-13 the year before Mulkey arrived in Baton Rouge. The Tigers went 26-6 last year and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament before this season’s breakout effort.
For the first time in 12 years, Sunday’s national title game did not feature a No. 1 seed, according to The Athletic.
LSU got to the big game by knocking off second-seeded Utah in the Elite Eight and then surprising No. 1 regional seed Virginia Tech in the Final Four.
Iowa was the giant-killer of the tournament, stunning previously unbeaten South Carolina, the defending national champion, in the Final Four. That ended a 42-game winning streak by the Gamecocks.
The Hawkeyes entered the game 12-2 in games this season in which Clark had scored 25 or fewer points, according to The Athletic. Against South Carolina, Clark scored 41 points to set a record for the highest-scoring NCAA Tournament semifinal, according to The Associated Press.
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