LSU's Angel Reese waves goodbye to MTSU player, leads comeback in possible final home game

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David Suggs
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Guardian Angel.

LSU's contest with C-USA powerhouse Middle Tennessee State proved a tricky endeavor, with the Blue Raiders answering each Tigers' rally with one of their own in the opening two quarters.

MTSU opened up a 36-32 lead over Kim Mulkey's squad heading into the second half. It seemed as if Mulkey and the Tigers' bubble might have finally burst.

Someone forgot to tell Angel Reese, though. The All-American was undoubtedly LSU's most fearsome player during the regular season. She reiterated such a reputation on Sunday, going toe-to-toe with the Blue Raiders' premier players and leaving the hardwood unscathed.

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Angel Reese stats vs. Middle Tennessee State

Reese, the mercurial senior, notched 20 points against MTSU. She added 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block in 36 minutes.

It was Reese's 25th double-double of the season, the third-best mark in the country. Few have been as important to LSU's success, as was the case again on Sunday when the Tigers turned a nine-point deficit into as much as a 30-point advantage.

Nerves were high when LSU left the floor following its dour first-half affair.

"At halftime, my stomach was bubbling!" Flau'jae Johnson said postgame. 

Mulkey's was, too. The high-profile tactician made sure to let her star player know, as well, sending Reese back onto the floor with one message and one message only.

"I need you," Mulkey allegedly mouthed to Reese, per The Daily Advertiser's Cory Diaz.

Reese paid back Mulkey's trust in spades. She jumped above the treetops to reel in unruly caroms off the glass. She pranced about the paint as she tends to do, finishing off pass-laden possessions with aplomb. And she was a constant thorn in the side of Middle Tennessee State's attackers, too, contesting a cadre of shots from the likes of Savannah Wheeler, Ta'mia Scott, and Jalynn Gregory, who combined for 16-of-51 shooting.

“I just didn’t want to let my team down. I didn’t want this to be my last game. I didn’t have a great scoring night but I was doing whatever it takes.”

Angel Reese waves 'goodbye' to Middle Tennessee State player

All of it amounted to another glittering display for Reese. She capped off the proceedings in style, even celebrating Blue Raiders center Anastasiia Boldyreva's dismissal from the game with her patented wave.

Reese's wave was shared all over social media, which likely was why she tweeted about "clickbait" making her go "viral." 

It's not the first time Reese has gone viral, either. She caught some flak following the 2023 National Championship when she taunted Caitlin Clark at the end of the game.

Angel Reese ovation: 'One more year!'

Reese was rewarded for her efforts with a raucous reception from the PMAC Arena faithful, who called upon her to return to the house that she built for one more season. 

All that was left to do for Reese was smell the roses, and sitting above a bouquet of flowers gifted to her by an unknown suitor after the game, Reese looked right at home...even if that's not where she necessarily will be this time next year.

"At one point I couldn’t hear anything in the PMAC. My ears went numb," Reese said. "Whatever decision I make, I’ll always love the PMAC.”

Reese and the Tigers will take on the winner of No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 7 Creighton on March 30.

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David Suggs Photo
David Suggs

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News.