Johnson, Reese lead defending champion LSU past UCLA 78-69 to reach Elite Eight

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Angel Reese says LSU's players are embracing the role of "good villains” as they make a run toward repeating as national champions.

Flau’jae Johnson had 24 points and 12 rebounds and Reese put up her 26th double-double of the season Saturday as LSU (31-5) beat UCLA 78-69 in the Sweet 16.

Reese had 16 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out late in the game for the Tigers, who closed the game on a 14-2 run. Aneesah Morrow had 17 points and Mikaylah Williams added 12.

And all the while the Tigers did their usual trash-talking, screaming and waving goodbye to their opponent.

“We’re the good villains,” Reese said. “We’re impacting the game so much and all of us are super competitive and want to win and do whatever it takes to win. We’re just changing the game."

LSU advanced to the Elite Eight, where it will face Caitlin Clark and Iowa on Monday night in a rematch of last year's national championship game. The Hawkeyes beat Colorado 89-68 in Saturday's second semifinal game in the Albany 2 Region.

Lauren Betts had 14 points and 17 rebounds for UCLA, which finished the season at 27-7. Londynn Jones and Gabriela Jaquez also put up 14 points each and Kiki Rice scored 13 for the Bruins.

LSU led by seven points at halftime. But after making just two of their first 20 shots from 3-point range, the Bruins hit four of their next five.

Consecutive 3-pointers from Jones keyed an 11-2 run that gave UCLA the lead at 45-44, and the teams were tied at 48 headed into the fourth quarter.

Jaquez hit a jumper that gave the Bruins a 67-64 lead with 2:46 left. But LSU responded with its run, sparked when Reese blocked a shot by Betts, leading to a drive by Johnson that fouled out Rice.

“I think that I wasn’t scared of the moment,” Johnson said of her game. “I really loved the delight. I love that underdog feeling. Coach Mulkey told me go do what you do, and I did.”

Johnson had two early 3-pointers in the first half. Her spinning baseline drive and layup highlighted an 8-0 LSU spurt that put the Tigers up 25-18.

The Bruins made only one of 16 shots from behind the arc before Jones’ 3-pointer from the left wing just before the halftime buzzer. That ended an 8-0 LSU run and cut what had been a 10-point lead to 34-27.

“Credit to LSU,” Bruins coach Cori Close said. “They got the shots that they wanted down the stretch, and we didn’t get the shots that we wanted. We did not execute the way that we needed to, and that’s one that’s going to sting for a really long time for me.”

MULKEY AND THE MEDIA

The game was played hours after The Washington Post released a much-anticipated story about Mulkey, over which she had threatened legal action, warning it would be a “hit piece.” Instead, it was a profile highlighting both positive and negative aspects of her career and describing her as a colorful personality who “wears feathers almost as dramatically as she ruffles them.”

She wore a loud, multicolored sparkling pantsuit on Saturday. After the game, she said she likely would not read the article but questioned the timing of its release just before her team arrived at the arena.

“Imagine that. Must have thought y’all would look at it, get some clicks or be a distraction,” she said.

BIG PICTURE

LSU: The Tigers are looking to become the first repeat champion since UConn won its fourth straight in 2016.

UCLA: The Bruins have made 19 NCAA Tournament appearances and have been in the Sweet 16 nine times, including three in the last four years. But they have advanced to just two regional finals.

UP NEXT

LSU blew out Iowa 102-85 last year to give the Tigers their first national title. Reese had 15 points and 10 rebounds in that one, famously mocking Clark with a hand gesture Clark had given another opponent at the end of a game and pointed to her own ring finger. Clark finished with 30 points in that loss.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket/ and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

UCLA guard Charisma Osborne (20) drives around LSU guard Hailey Van Lith (11) during the fourth quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

UCLA players react on the bench during the fourth quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game against LSU during the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

LSU guard Last-Tear Poa (13) reacts during the fourth quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game against UCLA during the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey reacts during the fourth quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game against UCLA during the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey reacts during the third quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game against the UCLA during the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

LSU guard Mikaylah Williams (12) shoots against UCLA center Lauren Betts (51) during the second quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

UCLA head coach Cori Close reacts during the second quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game against the LSU during the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

UCLA guard Kiki Rice (1) puts up a shot against the LSU during the second quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

UCLA guard Kiki Rice (1) motions to teammates during the second quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game against the LSU during the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

UCLA guard Kiki Rice (1) puts up a shot against the LSU during the second quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey reacts during the second quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game against the UCLA during the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

LSU forward Angel Reese (10) and UCLA center Lauren Betts (51) fight for control of the ball during the second quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

UCLA guard Londynn Jones, right, tries to strip the ball from LSU guard Aneesah Morrow (24) during the third quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

LSU guard Last-Tear Poa (13) and forward Angel Reese (10) react with teammates during the third quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game against UCLA during the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

LSU guard Flau'jae Johnson (4) and LSU forward Angel Reese (10) react during the fourth quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game against UCLA during the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — It's a dilemma no business owner should have to face: whether to reopen after a mass shooting.

The answer didn't come easily to Justin and Samantha Juray. But when they did decide to reopen their Maine bowling alley, they didn't hold back.

When patrons returned Friday, six months after the gunman opened fire, they were impressed by the scenic images and messages of resilience at the end of each lane, bright paint on the walls and new floors. The Lewiston venue has undergone a complete makeover, giving it a vibrant, airy feel.

“It looks beautiful,” said Lena Galipeau, who works with a group of adults with disabilities who'd been anxious to return.

Samantha Juray gets emotional when recalling the events of Oct. 25, when the gunman killed eight people at the bowling alley before driving to a nearby bar and pool hall where he killed 10 more during the deadliest shooting in the state's history. He later died by suicide.

“It's never going to leave my head,” Juray said. “I think if we don't move forward — not that there was a point to this whole thing anyway — but we're just going to allow the people that have taken so much from us win.”

Justin Juray initially was dead-set against reopening and they also got some negative outside feedback. But that all changed, she said, as people in Lewiston rallied behind them. Within weeks, they knew they had to reopen, Samantha Juray said.

They decided to keep the same name: Just-In-Time Recreation. They call it that because when they bought the venue three years ago, the owner was days away from shutting it down. It also fits with Justin’s name.

John Robinson attended the reopening with his son Colin, who was there with his mother the night of the shooting. Robinson said it was emotional to return to the bowling alley — he'd also been to an earlier soft launch with families — but it also felt like a weight had been lifted. He knew all those who died at the bowling alley and counted them as friends.

“I can't say how great this day is,” he said. “An opportunity to celebrate their lives. To celebrate the rebirth of Just-In-Time.”

He said the reopening was important for bowlers across the region because there aren't many places to bowl in Maine and they're spread out.

Across the country, people have taken varied approaches after mass shootings. Barbara Poma, the former owner of the Pulse nightclub in Florida where 49 people were killed in 2016, said every situation and community is different.

“You are suddenly thrown into a state of shock, and emotions dictate your thoughts,” Poma said in an email. "Eventually you are forced to make a critical business decision based on how it will impact others emotionally and publicly. There just is no easy or right answer.”

The City of Orlando last year agreed to buy the Pulse nightclub site to create a memorial.

In Aurora, Colorado, a movie theater where 12 people were killed in 2012 later reopened under a new name. Buffalo’s Tops Friendly Market reopened in 2022, two months after 10 Black people were killed.

In Newtown, Connecticut, Sandy Hook Elementary School was razed, and there also are plans to bulldoze Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

In Lewiston, Kathy Lebel, who owns the second business hit by the gunman, Schemengees Bar & Grille, also hopes to reopen at a different venue.

At the bowling alley, Tom Giberti said people are “so excited to get us back.”

Giberti, who has worked at the bowling alley for 20 years, is credited with saving the lives of at least four children the night of the shooting. He ushered them along a narrow walkway between the lanes to an area behind the pins. Before Giberti could get to safety himself, he was shot in both legs and hit with shrapnel.

After undergoing surgery, it wasn't long before Giberti stopped using the mobility walker he'd been given. These days, he enjoys playing golf and shows few physical signs of his injuries as he strides about the bowling alley.

A lot of people in Lewiston have helped get the venue reopened, he said.

“The community has been phenomenal,” Giberti said. “They’ve been right here for us, they’ve been supporting us.”

The makeover of the bowling alley includes a new scoring system and many tributes, including a table featuring pictures of the eight who died at Just-In-Time, and bowling pins with the names of the 18 shooting victims from both venues.

Among those killed were two bowling alley staff members. Most of the staff who survived are returning to work at the venue.

Samantha Juray said they are fully prepared to serve customers again and can’t wait to see the familiar faces of regulars as they get used to a new normal.

“This is us, standing back up again,” said Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday afternoon that packed the bowling alley. “With all of you here, it's very clear. Lewiston can never be kept down.”

When it was the Jurays turn to speak, Justin turned to the crowd.

“You're the reason,” he said, as he raised his arms to thunderous cheers. “This is why. This is why we decided to reopen.”

Associated Press writer David Sharp in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.

Justin Juray, owner of Just In Time Recreation, greets a customer during the reopening of the bowling alley six months after a deadly mass shooting, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Josh Roy bowls at Just In Time Recreation, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley, where eight people were killed in last October's mass shooting, reopened to the public on Friday. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Colin Robinson bowls at Just In Time Recreation during the reopening of the bowling alley six months after a deadly mass shooting, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

A crowd of bowlers sign up for a lane during the reopening of Just In Time Recreation, six months after a deadly mass shooting, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Katie Nichols bowls at Just In Time Recreation during the reopening of the bowling alley six months after a deadly mass shooting, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Justin Juray, owner of Just In Time Recreation, hugs a customer during the reopening of the bowling alley six months after a deadly mass shooting, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

The names of some of the 18 victims of last October's mass shooting are memorialized on bowling pins at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

The names of the eight people murdered last October at Just In Time Recreation are posted at the bowling alley, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. A gunman also killed an additional 10 people at a local bar. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

A sign of support is displayed at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

A sign decorates a riverfront park, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The city was the scene of the state's deadliest mass shooting last October. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Bowler Ray St. Pierre walks through the newly-renovated Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3, seven months after the state's deadliest mass shooting. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

League bowlers compete at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3, seven months after the state's deadliest mass shooting. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

A bowler takes aim at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3, seven months after the state's deadliest mass shooting. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Lucas Mitchum inspects the gutters on a lane at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3, seven months after Maines deadliest mass shooting. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Last-minute decorations are installed prior to the reopening of Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Thomas Giberti describes the chaotic scene in which he saved several children by hustling them into the room that houses the pinsetting machines at a bowling alley, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. Giberti survived despite being was hit by numerous bullets and shrapnel. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Thomas Giberti shows one of the numerous places he was shot while saving the lives of several children during a mass shooting at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

A sign of positivity decorates the lawn at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley, where eight people were killed in last October's mass shooting, was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Photos of local scenes have been added to the decor at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley, where eight people were killed in last October's mass shooting, was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

The eight people who were killed last October while bowling at Just In Time Recreation are memorialized on a table top at the bowling alley, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Samantha Juray gets emotional while recalling the events of the mass shooting last October at the bowling alley she owns with her husband, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Justin Juray, right, owner of Just In Time Recreation, bumps fists with local bowler Moe St. Pierre, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley, where eight people were killed in last October's mass shooting, was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Bowling pins labeled for each of the 18 victims of the Oct. 25, 2023, mass shooting are displayed at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley, where eight people were killed, was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3. An additional 10 people were killed at nearby bar. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)