How LSU women's basketball defended one of the best players in the SEC
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LSU women's basketball took on one of the country's best centers in Raegan Beers when it faced No. 12 Oklahoma on Sunday. In the 91-72 victory, the No. 6 Tigers found ways to combat Beers' abilities on both ends of the court.
The six-foot-four senior headed to the bench with two fouls with a few minutes remaining in the first quarter. She returned at the end of the second and played sparingly throughout the third, giving LSU enough time to build a comfortable advantage.
"I thought we did about as good a job as you can," LSU associate head coach Bob Starkey said. "She's an absolute handful down there. I mean, people look at her and they talk about her strength, but she's got some really good quick feet, some really good hands.
"I think Oklahoma does a good job of placing people on the floor in certain spots that make it difficult to double her or go dig in and so it's a really difficult job."
Oklahoma started hot from distance, making three three-pointers within the game's first two minutes. It forced LSU to check out quicker on the shooters, leading to more one-on-one opportunities for Beers in the post. But the Tigers countered on the other end, attacking the paint and forcing Beers to defend. The strategy forced her out of the game for most of the first half.
"One of the ways you guard her is to attack her on the other end offensively," Starkey said. "I thought Kate [Koval] came off the bench and was able to bang with her physically and make her have to work for some things, but she's a really good player."
Kate Koval Career Stats
| Season | Team | GP | PPG | REB | STL | AST | BLK | MPG | FGM | FGA | FG% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | LSU | 19 | 10.1 | 6.4 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 18.1 | 71 | 122 | 58.2 | 50 | 65 | 76.9 | 1.3 |
| 2024 | ND | 32 | 5.3 | 4.7 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 18.3 | 74 | 164 | 45.1 | 23 | 33 | 69.7 | 2.2 |
| Career | 51 | 7.1 | 5.4 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 18.2 | 145 | 286 | 50.7 | 73 | 98 | 74.5 | 1.9 |
Koval picked up three fouls herself but the sophomore hung tough against Beers inside. She competed on the glass, pulling down seven rebounds, as did the entire LSU lineup. The Tigers took a by-committee approach to ensuring Beers didn't get second chances on offense.
"She's one of those players that I'll joke around, say it's fun to watch, but I hate to prepare for."
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: How LSU women's basketball defended one of the best players in the SEC
