It took the LSU women’s basketball team three quarters to pull away from its first true road opponent of the season, an Illinois-Chicago team that played pesky defense in the lane.

The No. 5 Tigers (14-0) eventually found an offensive rhythm Thursday and won 91-73.

But not before they misfired on eight of their first nine shots, allowed Illinois-Chicago to hit five of its 11 first-half 3-point tries and entered halftime with only 15 field-goal makes on 36 attempts. Across the first and second quarters, LSU failed to build a lead larger than 11, ceding the overmatched Flames (2-6) opportunities to sniff a potential upset.

Flau’jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow helped take those chances away at the start of the third quarter.

Johnson, a junior, drew three fouls in just the first five minutes of the second half, earning trips to the free-throw line that helped the LSU offense warm up. The Tigers opened the third quarter by hitting Illinois-Chicago with a 12-2 run, and they closed it with a 67-46 lead. The Flames shot just 27% from the field in the frame.

Morrow — the star senior who played her high school ball just 12 miles north of Illinois-Chicago’s Credit Union 1 arena — finished her homecoming game with 19 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks, 4 steals and her nation-leading 12th double-double of the season. On Thursday, she also knocked in a pair of 3-pointers just two days after burying 2 of her 3 long-range attempts in LSU’s win over Seton Hall. Before that game, Morrow had hit just 1 of the 5 3-pointers she had taken this season.

Johnson finished with 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting, 11 rebounds and three assists. Star sophomore Mikaylah Williams added 17 points and 7 assists but shot just 1 of 6 from beyond the arc.

Illinois-Chicago shot 40% from the field and committed 19 turnovers, which LSU turned into 28 points. The Flames also missed 11 of the 15 field-goals — and 3 of the 4 3-pointers — they attempted in the third. In that quarter, they gave the Tigers 14 trips to the free-throw line.

In a Sunday win over UL, LSU committed 21 turnovers, matching its season high. Since then, it coughed up 13 possessions against Seton Hall and 13 in its win over Illinois-Chicago. It tallied more giveaways (17) in just the first half of the game against the Ragin Cajuns.

For the third straight game, LSU slotted Last-Tear Poa and Jersey Wolfenbarger into its starting lineup next to its three stars – Johnson, Morrow and Williams. Transfer point guard Shayeann Day-Wilson (ankle) sat for the third consecutive contest, and Sa’Myah Smith logged 23 minutes off the bench.

In that action, Smith played one of her most efficient games of the season. She scored 8 points, grabbed 4 rebounds and blocked a shot while shooting 4 of 4 from the field.

LSU next will break for the holidays, then play only one more nonconference game, a home contest against Albany scheduled to tip off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 29.