Tempers flared during Thursday’s highly anticipated Top-25 women’s college basketball matchup between the one-loss LSU Tigers and the Oklahoma Sooners.
The game featured players shoving — which led to ejections — coach’s technical fouls, and a noticeable clipboard-slapping moment from LSU coach Kim Mulkey. LSU forward Sa’Myah Smith and Oklahoma forward Liz Scott were both tossed from the game after a shoving incident in the first quarter.
Oklahoma center Beatrice Culliton was battling for position in the paint with Smith when the two got tangled up. Culliton elevated her arm to create some separation, and Smith retaliated by pushing her to the ground. Scott, who was also in the paint area, responded by shoving Smith.
Smith was corralled by Joe Schwartz, LSU’s assistant of basketball operations. The teams separated and returned to their bench areas. The normally even-keeled Smith was called for a foul on the play and then ejected following a review.
“Pushing, I guess, is considered fighting,” Mulkey said. “It (Smith’s reaction) was shocking. It hurt our team with her not being a part of tonight because we’re trying to develop her. My old mentor (former Louisiana Tech coach), Leon Barmore, always said you’ve got to keep a cool head in a hot game… Never let ’em see you sweat.”
Mulkey also acknowledged the game’s entertainment value: “I guess it was entertaining for the fans.”
Play resumed after the ejections, with Oklahoma leading 12-11. The Sooners took advantage of the 6-foot-2 Smith’s absence to keep it close, rallying from a 24-point deficit late in the third quarter to get within one point in the final minute.
In the third quarter, Mulkey slapped a clipboard that assistant coach Seimone Augustus was holding. LSU was enjoying a 67-45 lead at the time. Mulkey proceeded to yell and point for several seconds, while Augustus appeared to contend with a brief moment of shock.
Referees later assessed a technical foul after the Tigers’ coach argued a foul call against star guard Flau’Jae Johnson. Oklahoma coach Jennie Baranczyk also received a technical at a different point in the game.
The chippy game concluded with a total of five technical fouls and 63 free throw attempts.
“We saw a lot of things tonight,” Mulkey said. “You saw ejections. You saw two teams score over 100. You saw a technical on the second flop… I got teed up, and she told me I got teed up for pointing at the big screen. I was definitely looking at the big screen, and I was not real happy, but I don’t know if I pointed. But she’s across the way. Whatever.”
The Tigers’ 107-100 victory over the Sooners improved seventh-ranked LSU’s record to 22-1.