Everything Flau'Jae Johnson said after LSU extends 19-0 winning streak in unbeaten season

LSU star Flau’Jae Johnson addressed the media following her standout performance in LSU’s 19th win of the season, remaining undefeated with an 83-77 victory over Vanderbilt on Monday night.

In the high-intensity matchup against the Commodores, Johnson delivered in the clutch, scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter to help LSU regain control and seal the six-point victory. Johnson finished the game with 25 points, five rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block in 38 minutes of action.

During the post-game press conference, Johnson reflected on the challenges No. 5 LSU faced and how they managed to pull away in the final quarter.

"In the first half we didn’t play our best basketball. We weren’t helping each other on defense," Johnson said (1:10 - 3:15).

"12 (Khamil Pierre) is just really a hell of a player. She really gets to her spot, she plays really slow, and so I think we had to kind of go on our own run and just kind of pick things up on the defensive end, especially on 12 (Pierre) and my man 23 (Iyana Moore)," she added.

LSU struggled to contain Vanderbilt’s Khamil Pierre and Iyana Moore who led their team in both minutes and points. Pierre kept the Commodores competitive with 28 points, eight rebounds and two assists while Moore sank five 3-pointers and tallied 23 points, two rebounds and three steals.

When asked how LSU managed to prevail in another close game, Johnson emphasized the team’s chemistry and understanding of one another on the court.

"I think just like togetherness. I feel like we really come together in those moments when the spotlight is big or we’re in a tight game. We just know how to come together, and I think we really kind of learned each other and you know what kind of shots she’s going to take and how to be there," Johnson said.

"I mean, Neese (Aneesah Morrow) gets all the rebounds when we miss, and so I think we’re learning a running transition, so it’s just like us coming together," she added.

Johnson also addressed LSU’s sluggish start, as the Tigers were tied with Vanderbilt after the first (21-21) and second quarters (37-37).

"We should have started better today for sure, but you know it’s the SEC—like every game is going to be a grind. But we made the game harder than it had to be for sure," she said.

LSU edges Vanderbilt in a nail-biter

Following a narrow two-point victory over No. 16 Tennessee, LSU found itself in another hard-fought contest against Vanderbilt.

The game saw 13 lead changes, with neither team leading by more than six points. LSU ultimately prevailed, thanks to clutch performances by Flau’Jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow who combined to score 10 of LSU’s final 12 points.

The Tigers dominated the boards with a 45-25 advantage. Five LSU players grabbed five or more rebounds with Morrow leading the effort with 15. Moreover, she became only the eighth player in NCAA Division I history to surpass 2,500 points and 1,500 rebounds.

LSU struggled from beyond the arc. After shooting 9-of-23 in 3-pointers to open SEC play against Arkansas, the Tigers are now 4-for-23 over their last three games, including 3-for-9 against Vanderbilt.

The unbeaten LSU travels to Florida on Sunday. The Tigers face a challenging slate of games later this month, including matchups against South Carolina (Jan. 23), Texas A&M (Jan. 26) and Oklahoma (Jan. 30).