LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey pointed to turnovers as the decisive factor in No. 7 LSU’s 85-77 loss to Ole Miss on Sunday. The Tigers surrendered a 15-point third-quarter lead as the Rebels capitalized on mistakes, scoring 27 points off 23 LSU turnovers to secure the upset in Baton Rouge.

“That's really what cost you the game,” Mulkey said, as reported by Reed Darcy of The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. “The turnovers.”

The loss marked LSU’s first home defeat of the season and came on senior night. The Tigers were without All-SEC guard Flau’Jae Johnson, who sat out due to shin inflammation. Despite the absence, LSU had strong performances from Aneesah Morrow, who posted 30 points and 12 rebounds, and Mikaylah Williams, who added 25 points. However, their efforts were not enough to overcome the turnovers and Ole Miss’ second-half surge.

Ole Miss (19-9, 10-5 SEC) trailed by double digits early in the third quarter but stormed back, outscoring LSU 54-33 in the second half. The Rebels took their first lead of the game in the final minute of the third quarter on a three-pointer from Kirsten Deans, who scored 15 of her 16 points after halftime. Tameiya Sadler led the Rebels with 19 points, knocking down five three-pointers, while Starr Jacobs added 17.

Mulkey acknowledged LSU’s struggles taking care of the ball but emphasized that the coaching staff can only do so much to correct the issue.

LSU women's basketball struggles with turnovers against Rebels

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“All you can do is address (the turnovers),” she said. “I can't dribble it for them, and I mean that in a very honest way. All you can do is what we do every day … You gotta go do it. You gotta take care of the ball.”

LSU (27-4, 12-4 SEC) now shifts its focus to the SEC Tournament, where it has secured the No. 3 seed and a double bye. Mulkey stressed the importance of balancing preparation with rest, particularly for Johnson.

“If we lose in the first round, we lose. If we win, we win,” she said. “But you gotta be smart in getting Flau’Jae well. You gotta be smart in resting, and that's the way I approach it.”

The Tigers will begin tournament play on Friday in Greenville, South Carolina, while Ole Miss looks to build on its momentum heading into postseason play.

Reporting by William Weathers of the Associated Press contributed to this article.