Thursday night, the No. 5 Louisiana State Tigers defeated the UIC Flames, 91-73, at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago. Setting the record for all-time women’s basketball arena attendance at UIC (4,322), the matchup was high-pressure – full of hard-fought jump balls, quick turnarounds, and back-and-forth scoring.
The game, which Tigers’ head coach Kim Mulkey revealed was over a year in the making, marked a special homecoming for LSU (14-0) forward and Simeon High School (Chicago, Ill.) graduate Aneesah Morrow. As the nation’s top rebounder and No. 2-ranked scorer, Morrow posted her 12th double-double in her team’s 14th game of the season.
Although UIC (2-6) didn’t pull off the upset, UIC head coach Ashleen Bracey credited her team’s effort to hold their own against the former national champions.
“They played fearlessly,” Bracey said. “I don’t think they looked tentative against top twenty recruits in the country, and I think they really enjoyed themselves along the way.”
Morrow’s homecoming also marked a reunion with Flames powerhouse player Keimari Rimmer. The two played together at DePaul University for two seasons (2021-22, 2022-23). Rimmer, now a graduate student, posted nine rebounds against the Tigers.
Flames guard Arin Freeman played her best game this season, tallying 19 points and six rebounds in 31 minutes. UIC’s Makiyah Williams shot a 3 for the first points of Thursday’s game, and the 6-foot senior shot 50% from behind the 3-point line across 22 minutes.
“We’re on the way up,” Bracey noted. “As coaches, [Mulkey and I] are looking to push women’s basketball and our programs in any way we can. This game was necessary to show people what we’re all about.”
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