SEC Under Fire for Poor Officials as Ugly Double Ejection Enlivens Kim Mulkey-Led LSU vs Oklahoma Matchup

LSU is bouncing back from its loss to South Carolina last week and how! After a 64-51 comeback against Texas A&M, the Tigers tipped off their top-15 high-stakes game against Oklahoma with some drama. They’d rally back from a 3-point deficit by the first quarter to lead by half-time, but eyes were largely drawn towards a brawl and the officiating that has persisted.

After trailing in the first quarter, the LSU Tigers took off with Mikaylah Williams’ three-pointer in the next and never looked back. The Kim Mulkey-led team managed a 107-100 win to improve 22-1 and trail only South Carolina in the SEC. It was Williams’ turn to shine for the evening, who put up 37 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. She also made 7 of LSU’s season-high 12 3-pointers. But if one were to describe the night, ‘feisty’ would be the word they’d look for.

The evening saw energy and frustration soar among the players; of course it did not evade Kim Mulkey. Flagrant, technical, ejections, and suspension, the game saw it all. And the row started right from the first quarter.

About six minutes into the game, Sa’Myah Smith pushed Oklahoma’s Beatrice Culliton after they had exchanged a few words following a foul. Sooners’ Liz Scott then retaliated with a push of her own. Both players were ejected with a suspension in sight for the next game per SEC rules. That, however, was just the beginning of the chippy evening it would set out to be.

Moments later, Aalyah Del Rosario received a flagrant intentional foul, after a high elbow struck Sooner star forward Raegan Beers. Kim Mulkey was sure not happy, arguing with the referees and banging the panel courtside. Fans couldn’t help but bring attention to the officiating, who, they believe, weren’t doing a good job, with the drama or otherwise.

Fans react to officiating woes

The high tension between the teams wasn’t lost on the fans. With a brawl and a flagrant to start, one opined the game had run out of officials’ hands. “Lol this OU/LSU is messssssy. The refs have lost all control,” a user penned.

Apart from the first two instances, Kim Mulkey’s frustration following a foul on Flau’jae Johnson in the fourth quarter would earn her a technical. By the evening’s end, there would have been 53 fouls called in total with Tigers and Sooners attempting 32 and 31 from the free throw line. Fans, however, could not get on board with the officials’ calls.

“These NCAAW LSU and Oklahoma refs are terrible!” one commented. The other expressed distaste over the refs turning to monitor every so often. “Watching the LSU vs Oklahoma women’s basketball game and the @SEC has to have better officials than this. Equally bad for both teams. Cannot figure out anything without going to the monitor. @espn”

It didn‘t get any better when the game stretched into stoppage after stoppage, with poor calls that really had viewers irate. “These refs bout to piss me off in this LSU-Oklahoma game,“ another fan lamented.

Mulkey’s emotions were at all-time high as evident from the tech. But even before, the head coach was seen whacking a clipboard away from assistant coach Seimone Augustus’ hands. Fans seemed to be very well sharing the sentiment.

“I am already getting frustrated about the way they are handling the game“.

Fouls and foul trouble isn’t a new sight for the LSU Tigers. Just in their previous game against Texas, Johnson, Williams, and Aneesah Morrow, all three had to sit out by first half’s final minutes. LSU missed 7 of 8 field goal attempts then, allowing the Aggies to catch up. A possibility of a similar situation, the fans would have loved to avoid, seemingly fueling the frustration. But the Tigers have managed to come out on the winning side consecutively and hopefully keep up as the March Madness nears.