Kim Mulkey unhappy with Flau'jae Johnson's game vs Auburn, acknowledges Kailyn Gilbert mistake: "What I should've done is take Flau'jae off the floor"

Kim Mulkey's LSU Tigers faced a tough challenge against the Auburn Tigers on Sunday at Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The home team had to overcome a first-half deficit to win 73-63 and improve to 17-0.

However, Mulkey's postgame comments suggested that she wasn't entirely satisfied with how the game played out, particularly when it came to the performances of junior guard Flau'jae Johnson.

The Savannah, Georgia native has seen a dip in her offensive production as of late, averaging just 15.5 points per game in the Tigers' last five games compared to the 22.0 ppg she put up in the first 11 games of the season.

In the victory over Auburn, Johnson was limited to just 12 points — her second-lowest scoring output this campaign — on 5-of-13 shooting and 0-of-2 from beyond the arc.

"Flau'jae and Mikaylah didn't shoot it particularly well today but you got to do other things to help us win whether it's defense or rebounding," Kim Mulkey said (6:26).

"If you've watched us play, I will throw [Kailyn Gilbert] out there. I did it in the fourth quarter today, but it wasn't the right decision to make. What I should have done is taken Flau'jae off the floor and given KG those minutes."

Kailyn Gilbert, a 5-foot-8 junior who joined the Tigers via the transfer portal out of Arizona, played 17 minutes off the bench and finished with 17 points, one rebound and one assist.

Kim Mulkey showers praise on Kailyn Gilbert after Auburn win

LSU coach Kim Mulkey has yet to put Kailyn Gilbert into the starting lineup this season, but the junior point guard put forth another impressive effort off the bench against Auburn, knocking down 8-of-10 shots for 17 points.

"She has really been a spark for our team since we started. I've said it many times recruiting her, we had some heart-to-hearts," the coach said postgame (8:14). "That kid wants to win. The kid owned what she needed to work on.

"I told her, when she came to my office, I said, 'You're not going to be able to get on the floor if you don't give me effort on the defensive end,' and she hasn't been a liability on the defensive end. Now we work on her turnovers."

Gilbert is averaging 11.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 49.1% from the field. She produced her best scoring output in the win over Stanford last month, tallying 25 points and 4 assists.