Kim Mulkey, LSU Beat UCLA as Fans Hail Angel Reese, Flau'jae Johnson in Sweet 16 Win

Behind stellar efforts from forward Angel Reese and guard Flau'jae Johnson, the third-seeded LSU Tigers beat the No. 2 UCLA Bruins 78-69 in a hard-fought battle in the Sweet 16 round of the 2024 NCAA women's basketball tournament on Saturday.

Both Reese and Johnson recorded double-doubles for the victorious Tigers, as Reese finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and four steals, and Johnson contributed a game-high 24 points to go with 12 rebounds.

Reese was in foul trouble for much of the game and picked up her fourth foul less than two minutes into the fourth quarter, but she managed to remain productive in the final frame and came through in clutch moments, including scoring six points over the last 10 minutes.

While Reese fouled out with 31.5 seconds remaining, the Tigers were up by six points and were able to hang on.

Fans heralded Reese's performance on X, praising her for being able to elevate her game in the big moments:

While Reese was at her best in the fourth quarter, LSU likely would not have been within striking distance if not for Johnson's play earlier in the game.

Johnson was quiet for much of the fourth quarter, but she did provide one of the biggest buckets of the game, extending the LSU lead to four with 44 seconds remaining on a tough layup:

Like Reese, Johnson received her flowers from those who watched the game and commented on her effort on X:

LSU trailed 67-64 with 2:51 left in the game, but the Tigers went on a 14-2 run the rest of the way to punch their ticket to the Elite Eight.

The Tigers came to play on Saturday, and they will face either No. 1 Iowa or No. 5 Colorado for a spot in the Final Four.