BATON ROUGE — How to crack to code of Auburn's suffocating defense has been a combination LSU women's basketball couldn't solve in the first meeting this season on the road.

Inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Thursday night, the solution escaped LSU again for much of the first half. Then Kim Mulkey turned to an Aussie and a mack truck and the answer was there all along.

Junior guard Last-Tear Poa, the Australian native, and 6-foot-5 freshman center Aalyah Del Rosario, affectionately known as "Mack Truck," contributed off the bench late in the second quarter and scored nine of the team's last 12 points to help LSU build a 10-point halftime lead — just enough of a cushion.

LSU didn't relinquish the lead the rest of the way, capturing its fifth straight win, beating Auburn, 71-66.

Bench play comes through for LSU women's basketball in win over Auburn

LSU's depth has been a constant question, and rightfully so. After the season-ending injury to Sa-Myah Smith, and the departure of Kateri Poole, Mulkey does not have much experience on the bench.

Reserves have managed 15 points per game coming into Thursday’s contest. But when it was needed most against Auburn, LSU's bench came through.

Poa scored seven and Del Rosario dropped six in the first half, sparking the 15-2 run LSU went on the last 5:21 of the second. The production the team got from that pair allowed LSU to take a lead with enough cushion to hang on for the victory. Poa finished the game with 13 points.

Angel Reese contends with Auburn's physicality to shine for LSU

In the second half, LSU star Angel Reese began voicing her frustration. She had picked herself off the deck, the second time in the third period, to no whistle. But the referees had allowed the physical play from both sides roll.

Despite the roughness, Reese played harder. She dropped 10 points in the third, a quarter in which Auburn battled and hung with LSU. Reese performed better as the game progressed and when things got tight a couple of times in the second.

The stellar play from Reese, who finished with a 25-point, 20-rebound double-double, was needed as Aneesah Morrow struggled to get anything going.

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Free throws save day for LSU

The largest lead for LSU against Auburn was 12 points and the visiting team fought back to within two points after getting down by a dozen.

How LSU was able to keep Auburn at bay was by knocking down its free throws all game, but especially down the stretch. LSU made 13 free throws in the second half, while Auburn missed a pair in the final 1:38.

For the game, LSU put together its best free-throw shooting performances of the season, going 23-for-27 for 85.2% on the night. And those free throws were crucial for LSU as it went almost six minutes in the fourth quarter without a made field goal.

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: LSU women's basketball survives dogfight with Auburn