"I couldn't hear anything", "It was very loud": LSU's Hailey Van Lith and Angel Reese make their thoughts clear on the crowd vs. MTSU

In the second-round thriller between No. 3 LSU Tigers and No. 11 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in the NCAA Tournament, the crowd support for the LSU Tigers was deafening. The atmosphere was so intense that the players found it difficult to communicate with each other during plays.

Post-match, Hailey Van Lith commented on the crowd, highlighting how important it was for her team.

"It was very very loud. I don't know how my teammates heard me calling plays. Thank goodness that we were on the side of the court as our bench. The fans do a lot for us but they don't always know that they really do set the game and they were a momentum changer for us. They were so loud that I think Middle Tennessee might've been a little intimidated. They probably never had a crowd that loud before and yes they definitely helped us to go on that run in the second half," said Hailey.

Angel Reese echoed Hailey's comments.

"I couldn't hear anything. At one point I was running on the court, I was looking for a play call. Also, I was staring right at coach like I need to hear what's going on because I couldn't hear anything. There were some signals but I think our point guards did a great job [in] keeping our team together and know right plays to call at the right time."

At halftime, LSU trailed by four points with MTSU holding a 36-32 lead. However, the game changed after the break as LSU cruised to an 83-56 win. They will face the winner of Creighton vs UCLA in the Sweet 16.

Angel Reese recovered from first-half performance

LSU v South Carolina

ESPN analyst Andraya Carter criticized Angel Reese for her performance in the first half.

"I know they are being physical with her, but she is not making good decisions," said Carter.

However, Reese recovered and scored 20 points in the second half to fuel LSU's victory over MTSU. Flau'jae Johnson (21 points) and Aneesah Morrow (19 points) also played an important role in the victory.