Twice in the fourth quarter inside Thompson-Boling Arena Sunday afternoon, the collective LSU women's basketball heartbeat raced.

After leading as many as 12 early in the third, the Tigers let Tennessee creep back into the game to to make it a one-point and two-point, one possession game.

Both times, senior point guard Hailey Van Lith delivered staggering blows, the second of which ultimately pushed No. 13 LSU to the 75-60 victory over the Lady Vols.

Van Lith scored a season-high 26 points, along with seven rebounds and three assists in a hostile environment for a gritty performance that harkened those watching back to the guard's Louisville days where she more nights than not showed a killer instinct.

Her journey at LSU hasn't been as simple. She transferred to learn the point guard position under Kim Mulkey, who was a star point guard at Louisiana Tech back in the 80s.

Those consistent scoring outbursts have not been in the cards for Van Lith so far through 28 games in Baton Rouge and while there's been some banter on her fit or inability to run the offense at times, Mulkey says how Van Lith has been discussed has been unfair.

"Hailey's taken a lot of criticism and it needs to stop," Mulkey said after her team's win at Tennessee. "It needs to stop. She's learned a new position, she's on one of the top teams in the country and the defending national champions. She's having to play the point guard and today she moved to the off-guard.

"She had zero, and you write that big, she had zero turnovers in almost 37 minutes of play. That's the most important stat in my eyes."

Prior to LSU's current six-game win streak in the SEC, Van Lith was almost exclusively running point for the Tigers (24-4, 11-3). She had her struggles in the first 20-plus game, most notably in the losses to Colorado, Auburn and Mississippi State. Mulkey has changed her guard rotations and with Last-Tear Poa receiving more playing time, it's shifted Van Lith over to the wing, a spot where she has thrived in the past.

It's freed her up on the offensive end and in the last six games, Van Lith has averaged nearly 14 points.

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The bigger takeaway is Van Lith has looked for her shot more. She seemingly has found her fit among the plethora of LSU talent.

In the biggest moments at Tennessee when her team needed her to, Van Lith didn't hesitate. She spotted up or took her defender off the dribble, creating space like she always has to get her up.

Van Lith was who LSU has always needed her to be.

"She hit big shots in the game when we needed a shot the most," Mulkey said.

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 coach Kim Mulkey: Hailey Van Lith criticism 'needs to stop'