Missouri
Flau’jae Johnson gives LSU women the spark they need to pull away from Missouri
After Angel Reese finished a layup through contact, Flau’jae Johnson, crouching a few feet to her right, slapped the floor three times.
Johnson didn’t score that basket halfway through the second quarter Thursday against Missouri. She didn’t even assist it. But she did set it up by hustling in transition, closing a large gap with a heavy sprint and sailing across the lane to block an open layup attempt by a Missouri guard.
With that block, she jolted the LSU women’s basketball team in its 92-72 win in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, providing the spark that the No. 7-ranked Tigers (14-1) needed to break free from a close battle, and ultimately, distance itself from a pesky Missouri squad in their Southeastern Conference opener.
LSU, the nation’s leader in free-throw attempts and makes, didn’t earn a trip to the foul line until Reese drew contact on that layup. At that juncture, four minutes of the second quarter had ticked away, the game was tied 27-27 and LSU had already committed three turnovers in the period.
From that moment on, LSU outscored Missouri (9-5) by 20 points.
Missouri’s trapping zone defense clogged LSU’s driving lanes, shrunk its windows for entry passes and kept Reese and Morrow off the glass, limiting the opportunities they could find for second-chance points.
In the first half, LSU grabbed only two more rebounds than Missouri. It shot only eight free throws. And it allowed Missouri to grab seven offensive boards and convert 5 of 16 attempts from 3-point range. Missouri star forward Hayley Frank, with her 3-point shooting prowess, pulled Reese away from the rim and out on the perimeter, where she hit four shots from long range.
It all meant that LSU had to fight for the win. Missouri erased its usual advantages in rebounding and free-throw attempts peppered it with 3-pointers, outscoring it by 15 points in the category across the first two quarters. The Tigers from Baton Rouge had to find an advantage elsewhere.
Which they did — after finally earning trips to the foul line. LSU finished the night shooting 17-of-21 at the free-throw line, where they gained a 10-shot advantage over Missouri.
Largely thanks to six free throws by Reese, Last-Tear Poa and Mikaylah Williams, LSU closed the first half on an 8-0 run and entered halftime with a seven-point lead.
From there, Johnson and Williams gave LSU another wave of scoring that pushed its lead to 17 halfway through the third quarter. First, Williams nailed a 3-pointer, LSU’s first of the game, from the left wing. Then, Johnson buried a 3 from the exact spot on the next possession, before grabbing a rebound and finishing a coast-to-coast layup through contact on the other end.
Johnson, in her best outing of the new season, finished with 24 points, five rebounds and three steals. She shot 11-of-17 from the floor. Only one LSU player, Poa, earned minutes off the bench before the score was out of hand.
Missouri
BetMGM Missouri bonus code NYPDM1500: Get a 20% first deposit match up to $1,500 for Missouri vs. Alabama State
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Mizzou is a 22.5-point favorite over Alabama State. The Tigers step back onto its home floor looking to reset after road losses to Notre Dame and Kansas. Alabama State has struggled mightily against high-major opponents.
BetMGM Missouri bonus code NYPDM1500
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If bettors wanted to snag the maximum value of the offer, they would have to deposit $7,500. Otherwise, they get 20 percent of whatever they deposit, i.e., deposit $100, get $20.
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What our Post expert thinks about Missouri vs. Alabama State
Alabama State has already dropped its two power-conference tests by an average of 32.5 points, and its defensive profile hasn’t suggested much resistance.
The Hornets bring two of the SWAC’s top scorers in Asjon Anderson and Micah Simpson, they are giving up 81.4 points per game and allowing opponents to shoot 45.3 percent from the floor.
Missouri’s rebounding edge should matter — the Tigers pull nearly 40 boards per game while Alabama State is giving up 37.4 a night and just surrendered 18 offensive rebounds to UT Martin.
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Why Trust New York Post Betting
Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – Road construction on Springfield’s northside is affecting access to the Southwest Missouri Humane Society.
MoDOT is realigning the intersection of Norton and Melville Road as part of the I-44 overpass project. The bridge work and intersection project are both impacting the animal shelter.
The shelter sits on Norton Road just west of where the work is happening. Visitors can only reach the shelter by taking the long way up West Bypass to Westgate Avenue, then onto Norton Road.
MoDOT says the intersection at Norton and Melville is supposed to be closed for two weeks. The bridge project, as a whole, is supposed to be completed by the end of the year.
To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com. Please include the article info in the subject line of the email.
Copyright 2025 KY3. All rights reserved.
KSHB 41 News anchor Caitlin Knute is interested in hearing from you. Send her an e-mail.
Organizers working to turn back Missouri’s congressional redistricting map spoke Tuesday about collecting signatures to put the effort to a vote by citizens.
People Not Politicians submitted more than 300,000 signatures Tuesday to the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office. The signatures hope to force a statewide vote on redistricting approved earlier this year by Missouri politicians.
KSHB 41 anchor Caitlin Knute spoke with one of the volunteers behind the effort.
Volunteer describes collecting signatures for petition on Missouri redistricting
“I think people in rural areas want to follow the Constitution, and I think it was pretty clear this was not done within the parameters of the Constitution,” volunteer Elizabeth Franklin said.
Redistricting typically occurs after a census every 10 years, but that wasn’t the case this year in Missouri. Critics on both sides of the aisle note that it splits Kansas City into three districts, lumping parts of the city in with much more rural areas.
A spokesperson for the Missouri Secretary of State’s office confirmed receipt of 691 boxes of signatures.
“The elections division will proceed with scanning, counting and sorting the sheets for verification by local election authorities,” the spokesperson said.
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