COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Angel Reese had 26 points and 22 rebounds to help No. 3 LSU outlast Texas A&M for a 72-66 victory Sunday.
Alexis Morris added 22 points before fouling out late to help LSU (23-0, 11-0 Southeastern Conference) remain undefeated ahead of next week’s showdown with top-ranked and undefeated South Carolina. It was Reese’s 23rd consecutive double-double.
The Tigers won their first eight SEC games by an average of 23 points, but needed overtime to get an 82-77 win over Georgia last week before Sunday’s close game with the Aggies.
An 8-0 run by Texas A&M (6-15, 1-10), capped by six consecutive free throws, cut the lead to 66-62 with less than two minutes to go. Reese made two free throws before Kay Kay Green made 1 of 2 free throws on the other end to leave LSU up 68-63 with less than a minute left.
Last-Tear Poa added two free throws for the Tigers to push it to 70-63 seconds later. LSU forced a turnover and Reese added a basket to make it 72-63 with 17 seconds left to secure the victory.
Sahara Jones had 14 points for the Aggies, who lost their third straight.
Tineya Hylton made a 3-pointer for A&M after a turnover by Reese to cut the lead to 3 early in the fourth quarter. But Reese was fouled on the next two possessions and made three free throws to make it 52-45.
Another 3 by the Aggies, this one from Jones, cut it to 4 again. But Ladazhia Williams made an off-balance layup to start a 6-2 spurt that pushed the lead to 58-50 with 5 ½ to go.
Texas A&M used a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 5. But Flau’jae Johnson grabbed a steal and finished with a jump shot as the first of six straight points by the Tigers to make it 66-55 with three minutes left.
The Tigers led by 13 at halftime.
TIP-INS
LSU: Johnson had 11 points … The Tigers made 3 of 9 3-pointers. … LSU made 21 of 26 free throws.
Texas A&M: Hylton had 12 points. … A&M scored 20 points of LSU’s turnovers. … A&M made 6 of 17 3-pointers.
UP NEXT
LSU: Visits top-ranked South Carolina next Sunday.
Texas A&M: Visits Mississippi State next Sunday.
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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25