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Kim Mulkey gifts title rings to her coaches
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BATON ROUGE - The LSU Tiger women's basketball team continues to figure out just how good they are going to be this season as they started a third different starting line-up in as many games as they took out an overmatched Mississippi Valley State team 109-47 on Sunday evening in the Maravich Center.
At halftime of the game, head coach Kim Mulkey welcomed in her former coaches that helped guide her during her playing days to the Maravich Center to honor their contributions to women's basketball in the state of Louisiana.
“On a personal level, having those coaches on the floor shows what they mean to me,” Mulkey said. “I think that particular group on the floor meant a lot to the state of Louisiana. That was women’s basketball royalty, and a lot of them didn’t get the recognition that women’s basketball gets now. There were a lot of wins on that floor.”
Five Tigers scored in double figures and were led by forward Sa’Myah Smith who scored 21 points for the second straight game to tie a career-high and recorded her second career double-double with 11 boards.
Angel Reese recorded the 37th double-double in 39 total games at LSU as she passed Ayana Mitchell for the second most double-doubles in program history. She had 14 points and 10 rebounds to record her 10th straight double-double and while adding 4 assists.
Other Tigers to reach double digits include Mikaylah Williams, Annesah Morrow, and Hailey Van Lith. Williams scored 20 points for the first time in her collegiate career as she lit up the three point line on 5-6 from deep. Morrow added 14 with 5 rebounds and 3 blocks. Van Lith totaled 11 points and had a game-high 6 assists with just one turnover. Ten of LSU’s 12 players who saw the court scored in the game.
Flau’Jae Johnson was out Sunday with an illness.
Mulkey gifted seven of her former coaches national championship rings, coaches that ranged from junior-high to AAU to high school to college and she played for all of them inside the state of Louisiana. A full list of who she gifted rings is below.
Ms. Fairy Hannible:
Ms. Hannible was Coach Mulkey’s 7th & 8th grade coach at Hammond Jr. High. Her 8th grade team was undefeated and started the playing and coaching legacy that was to follow.
Gayle Montalvo:
Coach of her 1977 AAU team that was undefeated and won the State AAU Tournament. Along with her AAU program and Basketball Camp that she ran for 50 years, she was a highly successful coach at the high school level having coached at the Academy of Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau, Opelousas High, Carencro High, Northside and others having won over 1,400 games.
Charlie Domino:
Domino’s AAU club was her team for four years and was Coached by Charlie Domino. These teams were very successful, highlighted by two AAU National Championships.
Mary Jo Castell:
Mary Jo Castell was her Freshman and Sophomore Coach at Hammond High School. State Championships were won both seasons. Coach Castell left Hammond High School and became the Head Coach at what is now the University of Louisiana Lafayette.
Iwana McGee:
Coach Iwana McGee was her coach at Hammond High School her Junior and Senior seasons. The Tors finished both seasons as State Champions. Coach McGee later became the Head Coach at Lamar University. Iwana passed away in 2008. Accepting on behalf of Coach McGee were her sisters Barbara McGee and Carol King.
Sonja Hogg:
When the Louisiana Tech Women’s Basketball Program was founded in 1974, Sonja Hogg was appointed Head Coach. Coach Hogg recruited Kim out of Hammond High convincing her to continue her career at Louisiana Tech University. Mulkey always wanted to play with the best and for the best and found that in Ruston. During Kim’s career as a player, Coach Hogg’s Lady Techsters reached the Final 4 all four years winning 2 National Championships. Coach Hogg is a member of the Louisiana Tech Hall of Fame, The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
Leon Barmore:
Coach Leon Barmore was associated with Coach Mulkey for 22 years as either a player or coach. Not only was he an assistant coach during her playing days at Tech but upon being named Head Coach at Louisiana Tech appointed her as an assistant coach and later Associate Head Coach. Along with the National Championships as an assistant coach with Kim as a player, Coach Barmore also won a National Championship as the Head Coach with Kim on his staff. A few years after Coach Mulkey was hired at Baylor, she asked Coach Barmore to join her staff where he coached for three seasons reaching another Final 4. Coach Barmore is a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
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