GREENVILLE, S.C. — Aneesah Morrow had no idea when or how it happened. All she knew was that she took a shot on a rebound sometime in the first half.

Flau'jae Johnson thought Morrow was breaking out into hives during the game.

Angel Reese didn't notice until the team came back to the locker room for halftime as LSU women's basketball led Auburn, 43-19. As Morrow's eye bulged and turned a dark shade of blue, Reese and Johnson were not concerned about the black eye affecting Morrow at all.

Morrow's eye was just a poster for how expectedly physical the game with Auburn was going to be. No. 2 seed LSU absorbed the knocks, the shots and bumps and cruised past Auburn, 78-48, in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.

"It happened on a rebound," Morrow told The Daily Advertiser. "I'm not sure who hit me.

"I'm fine. I'm tough so I'm good to go."

Morrow didn't miss any time after being hit in the eye. That didn't surprise any of her teammates as that is who she's been since arriving on campus before the season started.

"She's been like that from the beginning of the season," Reese said. "Coming in as a transfer, come in and play tough, do whatever it takes to win. She made a sacrifice already coming here. Mentally, that's already tough and physically, that's going to be easy for her. She's one of our hardest players in practice, if not the hardest. She guards and pushes me in practice.

"I know when Aneesah gets hurt she's always going to get back up. She's from Chicago so, she's getting up. But she bangs hard."

Auburn's aggressiveness got the better of LSU earlier this season on the road. Auburn's roughness and tenacity prevented LSU from getting anything going and it led to the upset.

The second meeting at LSU was just as physical but LSU weathered the storm by getting to the free throw line and knocking them down.

LSU players had no doubts with a spot in the SEC Tournament semifinals on the line, that the intensity was going to be wrenched up that much more. Morrow caught the brunt of the game's physicality but her teammates feed off of how she responds to the beating and banging.

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"I knew it was going to be physical," Johnson said. "To me, it makes you better to be able to play under that pressure, to be able to excel under that pressure. It was physical. Nees got a big ol' knot on her eye. Nees is a dog. I joke with her all the time because she's from Chicago. I love playing with her. That's my sister. We have formed a great bond. I love playing with her because she gives me that confidence. Nees is going to go hard on defense and offense.

"But you know, Aneesah a dog. Stuff like that get her fired up. She might come drop 30 tomorrow."

Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers and Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU/UL athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Aneesah Morrow shows grit for LSU women's basketball even with black eye