LSU's Mulkey offers silly excuse in upset loss to Auburn

LSU Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey. Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

LSU HC Kim Mulkey offers silly excuse in upset loss to unranked Auburn

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 1/15/24

Defending national champions, No. 7 LSU, saw a 16-game winning streak go up in smoke on Sunday after a 67-62 loss to unranked Auburn.

Following the game, Head coach Kim Mulkey offered a silly excuse for the stunning upset.

Speaking with reporters, Mulkey insinuated that allowing the team to support the LSU men's squad on Saturday night may have resulted in a lack of "energy and enthusiasm" against Auburn.

"I'm going to regret that all the way home. That was out of our routine," Mulkey said via Tiger Bait.

While clarifying that she didn't regret supporting the men's team, she questioned whether it threw her squad off on Sunday.

"We're creatures of habit, so, did that disrupt your mindset? I don't know," Mulkey said. "I don't know that it did or it didn't."

Ultimately, defensive effort, or the absence of it, was the difference in the loss, according to Mulkey. She said Auburn's effort "was just better" than LSU's, adding that they made anything the team tried to do difficult.

— ESPN (@espn) January 14, 2024

Any team can win on any given day. That's why they play the games. However, a night out before a game isn't a valid reason for a bad outing from the defending champion, especially against an unranked opponent.

As for Auburn, who improved to 12-5, it's the program's biggest win in a long time. Entering the game 0-3 in SEC play, they rode the hot hand of guard Honesty Scott-Grayson, who led the team with 21 points.

Furthermore, they held LSU to only 62 points, the team's second-fewest in a game during the Mulkey era (60 vs. South Carolina in 2022).

The school also set a record in attendance for a women's game at Auburn as 7,720 fans showed up to Neville Arena to witness the upset.

It's only the second loss of the season for LSU, dropping them to 16-2. Meanwhile, No. 1 South Carolina now holds sole possession of first place in the conference.

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