Duke Blue Devils guard Ashlon Jackson is surrounded by teammates after her game-winning basket over the Louisiana State University Tigers during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Sweet 16 game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Friday.
PAUL KITAGAKI JR.
pkitagaki@sacbee.com
What a career for Ashlon Jackson, a stretch that she will not soon forget.
A Texas native and a four-year basketball anchor for the Duke Blue Devils, Jackson graduated in three years with a degree in sociology and is working on her master’s degree. The 6-foot senior guard has also left her mark as a winner, compiling a 103-35 record with the storied program.
Oh, one more thing. The buzzer-beating 3-pointer that Jackson coolly unleashed late Friday night inside Golden 1 Center, in front of her team bench, lifted No. 3-seeded Duke past No. 2 LSU 87-85 in a Women’s March Madness Sweet Sixteen thriller that advances Duke to its 13th Elite Eight.
That the shot rolled around the rim for what seemed like a moment had everyone in the downtown Sacramento venue on the edge of their seats.
It was the first game-winner Jackson said she could recall, capping a game that featured 17 ties or lead changes. And it moved the Blue Devils to Sunday’s showdown with top-seeded UCLA, ranked second in the country as the winner of 28 consecutive games, including earlier Friday over Minnesota.
Duke Blue Devils guard Ashlon Jackson (3) watches her game-winning basket over the Louisiana State University Tigers during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Sweet 16 game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Friday. PAUL KITAGAKI JR. pkitagaki@sacbee.com
Jackson for all of her star power has also proven to be human. She does miss shots, like everyone in this sport, and she made just 1 of 7 from 3-point range before her winner. She also missed two late free throws but not an ounce of confidence when the game suddenly was in her hands to decide.
Her coach never flinched, as Kara Lawson basked in the joy of winning such a big game in a city that has embraced her. Twenty-one years ago, Lawson helped propel the Sacramento Monarchs to the WNBA championship.
Duke Blue Devils head coach Kara Lawson talks to players during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Sweet 16 game vs. the Louisiana State University Tigers at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Friday. PAUL KITAGAKI JR. pkitagaki@sacbee.com
After Duke’s first buzzer-beating win of the season, Jackson was mobbed by her teammates and Lawson bounded into the stands and into the arms of Chelsea Gray, the former St. Mary’s High School of Stockton prep star who excelled at Duke before embarking on her own WNBA career. Gray made the trip precisely for this sort of fun.
“There was no doubt who I was going to in that situation,” Lawson said of her faith in her star player. “It was a three, and it was an unbelievable play. It can weigh on you mentally late in the game when you squander a lead. We just stayed strong.”
Jackson said she is a crier and will shed tears when moved by a moment. She said she teared up that her coach believed in her, explaining that the least she could do was to at least make the bucket to extend the season.
“Whenever shots aren’t falling for me, I can’t really hang my head,” Jackson said. “Every competitor knows that. But just having that faith from them and their belief from them was really I all needed.”
Duke Blue Devils guard Ashlon Jackson is all smiles after her game-winning shot over the Louisiana State University Tigers during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Sweet 16 game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Friday. PAUL KITAGAKI JR. pkitagaki@sacbee.com
Jackson scored 19 points, the dramatic 3-pointer coming after she faked LSU defender Flau’Jae Johnson to get a little extra room to fire away.
Teammates Taina Mair and Toby Fournier had 22 points each, and the defense made enough stops down the stretch to stall the Tigers of Baton Rouge, who broke the NCAA Division I record this season with 16 100-point games.
Duke Blue Devils guard Taina Mair (22) tries to pass the ball while being guarded by Louisiana State University Tigers guard Mikaylah Williams during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Sweet 16 game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Friday, March 27, 2026.. PAUL KITAGAKI JR. pkitagaki@sacbee.com
Duke is a defensive-minded team but showed that it could score in bunches, too, including three and-1 plays to spark an 11-0 run to open the fourth period to move to 27-8 on the season.
LSU rallied from 11 points down with Tigers fans chanting, “LSU! LSU!” and took their final lead with 9.2 seconds remaining on two free throws by Mikaylah Williams. Mair missed a 3 from the corner with 5 seconds to play for Duke, but the Blue Devils retained possession after the ball went off an LSU player. That set up the timeout that Lawson used to set up the final shot.
LSU coach Mulkey disputes retirement rumor
After the game, Lawson and decorated LSU coach Kim Mulkey embraced, Lawson saying later that her team will win with class and lose with class. Mulkey is known for her flamboyant attire during games and for winning multiple national championships. On Friday, Mulkey wore a purple sequined suit that glittered.
Louisiana State University Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey gestures during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Sweet 16 game against Duke at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Friday. PAUL KITAGAKI JR. pkitagaki@sacbee.com
Mulkey said after the game that she will return for another season, disputing social media speculation that she would retire at the end of this season.
“I’m not retiring,” she said, stressing that the Tigers will reload, rebound and be back. “I have no idea where that stuff comes from.”
Lawson said she will embrace this weekend, no matter how it ends. She said she ran into a lot of familiar faces from her Monarchs time at Golden 1 Center, be it security or staffers. She said people have stopped her in Sacramento since Thursday to express gratitude for her winning a championship with the Monarchs.
Lawson noticed the Monarchs banner a fan draped over a railing and a handful of fans wearing Lawson’s Monarchs jersey No. 20 in the venue.
“I love the city so much,” said Lawson, whose Blue Devils are 9-3 in the NCAA Tournament in the six years she has led the program. “Such a love affair with the city and its people and its fans. It’s one of the great basketball towns in the country. It really is. I feel connected here. Walking through (Golden 1 Center), security is like, ‘Monarch coming through!’”
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Joe Davidson has covered sports for The Sacramento Bee since 1989: preps, colleges, Kings and features. He was in early 2024 named the National Sports Media Association Sports Writer of the Year for California and he was in the fall of 2024 inducted into the California High School Football Hall of Fame. He is a 14-time award winner from the California Prep Sports Writer Association. In 2021, he was honored with the CIF Distinguished Service award. He is a member of the California Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Davidson participated in football and track in Oregon.