Last-Tear Poa, a brilliant LSU basketball player, sustained a terrifying injury during the SEC Tournament semifinals. The Australian-born guard slumped on the court after colliding with an opponent and striking her head. The crowd held its breath as paramedics came to her aid and eventually carried her away on a stretcher.
The Incident
In the fourth quarter of the game against the University of Mississippi, Poa collided with Ole Miss player Madison Scott. The blow was hard, and Poa immediately held her head in anguish. The fans and her teammates were concerned as she lay on the floor.
During a press conference on Saturday, LSU coach Kim Mulkey stated that the Australian-born player had been sent to St. Francis Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina. She was diagnosed with a concussion, although her initial scans were clear.
“The trainer told me that her cat scan … came back clean, so that’s wonderful news,” Mulkey said. Poa had movement in her extremities but was unresponsive. “The kid took quite a lick on the back of her head. I didn’t even see it. I saw it on the film just a minute ago and I wouldn’t even look at it.”
The LSU’s Decision to sit Last-Tear Poa from the SEC championship
On Sunday morning, LSU confirmed that Poa would not compete in the SEC Tournament championship game. Despite being discharged from the hospital, she would watch the game from a nearby hotel. Poa, a transfer from Northwest Florida State College, started 10 games this season and scored five points versus Ole Miss.
Mulkey concluded, as the LSU community rallies around Poa, “I know the power of prayer, and we were doing a lot of praying in that huddle.” [H/T Yahoo!] The expectation is that Poa’s rehabilitation will be quick and she will return to the court stronger than before.
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