The LSU Tigers Women's Basketball team had dominated all season long, but had never really faced any competition. Their SEC opener against the Kentucky Wildcats was circled as their first test and it was one that they did not pass.
Wildcats guard Tonie Morgan finished a great game with a last second three to give Kentucky an 80-78 win. The Tigers had a chance to tie it or win the game with half a second left, but they were not able to get a shot off in time.
LSU will fall to 14-1 on the year. The Wildcats entered the night 13-1 and ranked No. 11, so it's not like they got run off the court by a bad opponent. Still, not the result anyone in Baton Rouge was looking for.
All season long, the Tigers have been able to get past their opponents with ease based on talent alone. The big question is if they would be able to keep that rolling when they face a team that is able to match up with them size-wise.
One thing that Kim Mulkey's LSU squads have had in the past few years was a dominant force in the paint. Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow were rebounding machines. The Tigers don't have that this year and it showed.
One of the big reasons that Kentucky stayed in this one so close is that they dominated the boards. Wildcats forward Teonni Key had a career-high 16 rebounds to go with 17 points; LSU couldn't answer the 6-foot-5 player.
The Tigers have a 6-foot-5 center of their own in Kate Koval, but she did not have a great night. She was fighting foul trouble often and finished with just two points and two rebounds in 17 minutes on the court.
On the positive side of things, Mikaylah Williams looked ready to lead this offense. She finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists, including three clutch free throws late to put them ahead before the last-second shot.
Williams hasn't had the most impactful season, but she hasn't needed to. Nights like tonight, though, showed why some people feel that she could already play in the WNBA.
This isn't the end of the world for Mulkey and LSU, but it is a wake-up call. The competition isn't going to get much easier for them as the season goes along and they are going to need to play better team basketball.
The Tigers will return to the court on Sunday as they travel to take on the No. 12 Vanderbilt Commodores.