Louisiana
LSU women’s basketball suffocates SLU, Johnson duo shines
When the Tigers played their first game on Tuesday, Houston Christian scored 27 points in the first half to LSU’s 53.
On Thursday, when Southeastern Louisiana came to town, the Lions were held to just six points at the break while LSU had 61.
LSU women’s basketball made history during its second game of the season, allowing the fewest points in any half all-time, holding the Lions to only six points.
The swarming Tigers’ defense continued their dominance in the second half, limiting the Lions to 10-for-52 (19.2%) shooting from the field and propelled themselves to victory, defeating Southeastern Louisiana 115-26.
Head coach Kim Mulkey has always built her teams through tenacity, grit and defense, and it was on full display Thursday night. The Tigers recorded 19 steals and three blocks, shutting down any offensive rhythm the Lions hoped to gain.
LSU turned those hustle plays into points, scoring 42 points off turnovers
It wasn’t just the defense that was clicking on all cylinders; the offense had no trouble finding its footing with almost every single Tiger contributing to the score.
Depth has been one of the selling points of this year’s team, and with five players scoring more than double-digit points and totaling 25 assists as a team, the Tigers have shown they have multiple options.
“Just share the ball,” Mulkey said. “Good things are going to happen and certainly we’ve got players that can go 1-on-1, and can entertain you, but at the end of the day, when you get to SEC play and good games, you’re going to have to reverse the ball, you’re gonna have to share the ball and let everybody, as they like to say, eat.”
It was an extremely efficient night for LSU as it finished the game shooting 50-for-74 (67.6%) from the field and 8-for-18 (44.4%) from three.
Senior Flau’Jae Johnson led by example, finishing with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists.
However, the freshman ZaKiyah Johnson also showed why she’s one of the best freshmen in the country, scoring the second-most points for the Tigers. She has drawn comparisons to other LSU greats, such as Aneesah Morrow, for her relentless effort on the boards.
After recording a double-double in her first game, Johnson once again put up another solid performance, finishing with 16 points, five rebounds and four steals on 8-for-11 (72.7%) from the field.
The Johnson and Johnson duo has begun to take shape as the season begins, and with solid post moves from ZaKiyah and Flau’Jae, being able to score and make plays, the two complement each other very well.
The Tigers had the size advantage against the Lions and attacked the inside all night long. The Tigers scored 74 points in the paint and shot 29-for-40 (72.5%) on layups.
Not only were they able to feed the ball to their bigs such as Kate Koval, Grace Knox and Amiya Joyner, but they were also able to attack downhill and get to the basket.
The fast and twitchy guards of MiLaysia Fulwiley and Kailyn Gilbert showed that they could score inside without dumping it off to their bigs down low.
Even on the rare occasion when LSU missed near the basket, Koval cleaned the boards on the offensive end, hauling in four offensive rebounds.
After a quiet debut with the Bayou Bengals, scoring only seven points, Koval got going early, scoring points in the first half and finishing with 17 while also adding nine rebounds to the stat sheet.
Outside shooting has always been a rollercoaster for Mulkey’s teams, but freshman guard Bella Hines may have found a way to help out.
Hines finished the game with 14 points, three rebounds and two steals, but shot 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. Not only did she attempt the most threes on the team in this game, but she also made the most.
She didn’t shoot the ball a lot on Tuesday during the victory against the Huskies, only attempting and making one, but it’s clear that once she gets going, she can shoot the ball from deep.
Hines and her other talented freshman teammates have proven early that they belong at this stage.
“They’re confident,” Mulkey said. “They will guard anybody on the floor. They might get abused, but they’re still gonna come back, and they’re gonna try and do their best.”
Louisiana ranks among the top 10 most affordable states to retire, according to a new study from Retirement Living, a national journal of retirement research.
Researchers analyzed each state’s housing costs, living expenses and tax friendliness to compile the ranking. Louisiana, they say, is the eighth most affordable state for retirees.
In Louisiana, the median monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $932, the median home sale price is $255,000, monthly grocery spend per capita is $272, the average price per gallon of regular gas is $4, the average Medicare Advantage monthly premium is $13.35 and the average effective property tax rate is 0.55%.
West Virginia is the most affordable state to retire, followed by Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Louisiana, Indiana and Kansas. Researchers describe the South as “the sweet spot for an affordable retirement.”
The most expensive state to retire, meanwhile, is California, followed by Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Utah, New York and Minnesota.
Read Retirement Living’s full report here.
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – With hurricane season approaching, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is bringing the community together to prepare before a storm forms.
“We can’t stop disasters from happening. We can’t stop hurricanes from happening. But what we can do is equip our communities with the resources that they need to prepare for these storms ahead of time,” said Jayda Morris, CPRA outreach manager.
The agency hosted an event featuring interactive storm simulations and a full model of the Mississippi River.
“If you do it now, like on a sunny day like today, you’re ready to go for the rest of the season,” Jay Grymes said.
El Niño may reduce storms, but Louisiana still at risk
State Climatologist Jay Grymes said an El Niño pattern may reduce the number of storms in the Atlantic but warned against a false sense of security.
“In those 25 years, Louisiana, some part of the state has been impacted by 29 storms. That’s one a year, regardless of El Niño. So that should tell you something,” Grymes said.
He said the bigger concern is storms that can form in the Gulf with little warning.
“If we’re going to get a storm, it very possibly could be one that bubbles up in the Gulf and doesn’t give us five or seven days to track it coming our way. It gives us 40 hours to get ready for a landfall. So it’s imperative that you go ahead and do it now,” Grymes said.
Preparation goes beyond stocking water
Preparing now includes walking through yards, checking trees, and knowing whether everyone in the family can survive two weeks without power.
PhD students with the LSU College of the Coast and Environment gave the community a virtual reality experience that puts users inside a storm.
“If they wear the goggles or play with the Apple Vision Pro, they can understand how high will the flood be, and they can know how dangerous is the hurricane scenario,” said Yixuan Wang.
The VR simulation uses real historical data to show users what compound flooding looks like in New Orleans and surrounding areas. The goal is to make the science real for people who can’t picture what a flood map means.
“It’s just to let you understand the environment. We will add the audios, the different sound of the wind and the storm. And you can see how tense of the rainfall around you,” Wang said.
Organizers said the event is about making sure that when a storm threatens the area, families already know their plan.
Information from the event is available on CPRA’s website. Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
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BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Louisiana homeowners can get financial help to upgrade their roofs and ensure they can better stand up to strong storms.
According to the Louisiana Department of Insurance, registration for next Louisiana Fortify Homes Program lottery opens at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 1. The registration period will stay open through 5 p.m. on Friday, June 19.
Under the latest round of the program, 3,000 grants of up to $10,000 will go out. After applying, homeowners will get placed into a lottery and will be randomly selected.
There are many specific benefits of having a roof upgraded through the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program. Officials said the roofs have stronger shingles that can protect against hail up to two inches wide, sealed roof decks to help prevent water damage, and stronger edges to keep wind from getting underneath.
Homeowners with a fortified roof can also get a certificate to receive a discount on insurance premiums.
“At the end of the day, this program is about more than just roofs,” said Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple. “It is about protecting families, it is about strengthening communities, and it is about putting Louisiana in a stronger position—both physically and economically—to face the challenges ahead.”
Only people living in Ascension Parish, Livingston Parish, Assumption Parish, Tangipahoa Parish, Acadia Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, Iberia Parish, Jefferson Parish, Jefferson Davis Parish, Lafayette Parish, Lafourche Parish, Orleans Parish, Plaquemines Parish, St. Bernard Parish, St. Charles Parish, St. James Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish, St. Martin Parish, St. Mary Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Terrebonne Parish, and Vermilion Parish are eligible to apply for the latest round of the program.
People living in a newly built home, mobile home, or condominium are not qualified.
For a detailed list of eligibility requirements, click here.
If a person registered for the program previously, he or she must do so again. The person will also need to provide the following information:
- A homestead exemption on the primary residence.
- A policy of insurance that provides wind coverage for the primary residence.
- A flood insurance policy on the primary residence if it is in a special flood hazard area.
For more information about applying, click here.
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