LSU Tigers roar past Jacksonville Dolphins in First Round of NCAA Tournament
LSU Tigers roar past Jacksonville Dolphins in First Round of NCAA Tournament
I’m Taking your notes. All right, everyone, good evening. Welcome to the Baton Rouge Regional, the Women’s NCAA tournament. We’re joined by LSU who got the win tonight, 116 to 58. We’re joined by head coach Kim Mulkey, also by Fla Johnson and Makayla Williams. We will start with questions addressed to the players first, please, just the players. We do have *** microphone going around because we are streaming, so please introduce yourself, your affiliation, and please address to which player you’re asking your question. And *** reminder, please turn your cell phones off and no recording on cell phones. Uh, and with that, we will open up the floor for the players. Start with Michael right here. Uh, Michael Cobble, WBRZ TV in Baton Rouge for Makyla and Felage. We’ll start with Makayla, if you don’t mind. Just what did it feel like to get out there, kind of get this thing underway. Obviously, you got *** lot, *** number of girls that didn’t have this experience, right? And it was important to get them some touches. You guys shared the ball so well tonight, I guess just your thoughts on getting this thing started. Well, first off, we were itching. We was itching to play basketball. I was so excited to come in here. Everybody was so excited. The energy was great. I don’t know if y’all could feel it on the court, but the energy was immaculate, um, and We just came in here trying to be disciplined, trying to share the ball, trying to get everybody involved, uh, trying to get *** lot of post touches and I think we came in there and executed our game plan. Yeah, I agree. We’ve just been practicing, practicing, practicing. We’re having great intentional practices. And I think that’s just ***, you know, just an effect of what we’ve been doing in practice and how focused we’ve been. Chesham. Chessa Boucher with NBC 33 here in Baton Rouge. Mkayla, you came out just on fire. What was working so well for you and also, you and Big Four were playing off each other really well. Just talk about y’all’s chemistry. Oh man, me coming out on fire was just excitement. It was just excitement and I’m glad it turned out that way. And I think just playing with 4, we’ve been, we clicked as soon as I came on campus, even before that, um, we met at *** camp and it’s been the rest has been history and, um, I’m just extremely excited to continue to finish out the season with her and I hope we end out on *** bang. Yeah, she’s my recruit. Take pride in when I just, when Makayla gets going, it’s just easier for everybody. Um, I always know she’s gonna hit that cross and hit that 3, so I’ll be ready. Um, but I just, I think she just plays with so much poise and she impacts the game in so many ways and when she’s coming out like we’re *** better team. Right here in the front. Hey, it’s Megan Hall with USA Today. Um, this question is for you, Mikayla. Um, I talked to Flage earlier in the season. I asked her, what are the things that LSU needs to do to win *** national championship. Obviously, today is the first step in that, but from your lens, what do you think are the things that would, you know, help you get there? Um, I don’t know if you ever heard Coach Starkey say, but no rebounds, no rings. So we can, we can start right there with the rebound the ball. And I think us all being on the same page and playing with each other instead of against each other and playing together and playing discipline and closing out those big games in the last 4th quarter. I think that’s the biggest thing for us is just staying disciplined down the stretch. They need to hear me say it while they’re in here. Neither one of them had *** turnover tonight. Bam. Right there, Brit. Yeah, uh, for Flo, what do you think of not having *** turnover while, while doing, uh, behind the back passes and no look, uh, you know, hesitation passes? I mean, I see it in practice, so I’m not really surprised, but I don’t know. I feel like this week, like we just been locked in, like, you know, from *** leadership standpoint, from an energy standpoint, and that, that type of energy. You know, you play your best basketball then. Um, I’m excited to see how she comes out this March healthy, you know, I feel like this is just the beginning, 18 and 10. It’s crazy, but that’s what she’s capable of. She’s that type of player. She’s *** triple-double type of player, so it’s nothing new to me. Uh, I’m just glad that, you know, we had *** minimal. Oh, we had 0, you know, that’s what we do, baby. You know what I’m saying? No, I’m just playing, but no, no, this is what she do, man. This is what she do. She’s elite. John Sokoloff with WGNO in New Orleans, uh, you guys forced 28 turnovers tonight. Also scored 116 points. I mean, you were kind of talking about your overall thoughts on this one. Did it feel like *** complete performance by, uh, you and your team this evening? No, not complete, because that second quarter we kind of gave up, you know, we gave them up too many points. Uh, we weren’t talking. We weren’t, we were making. And like small mistakes which we can’t do. We got to clean up. I know Coach Bob gonna clip that and we’re gonna be able to talk through that tomorrow and flush it and let it go, but not *** complete game. But it’s, it’s, it’s, it’s OK. You know, for the first round, you know, playing in these, you just know you gotta clean up those things game by game. So that’s the blessed thing like if you had *** bad game today, squash it. If you had *** good game today, squash it. Like you’re on to the next. So you know, not *** complete game, but it was decent. Uh, Jacques Dosa, WAPTV here in Baton Rouge to both players, how refreshed and recharged do you think you guys were? It certainly looked like, you know, since the SEC tournament to now, you’re ready to make that next run here. Yeah, I definitely, uh, recharged, um, just got what Thomas did *** lot of extra conditioning, and that’s something you got to continue doing during the tournament, you know, to be in peak shape, you know, when you really need it. Uh, I feel like we got *** lot of rest on our legs, and, um. I mean this is what, this is what March is about like the team who wanted it the most. I was telling them like when it start burning and stuff like that, play hard through that cause that’s when, you know, that’s when you can reach different heights. So I felt like we just, we were just ready to play. We’ve been going for *** while. I, I was sober me and 12 was like let’s get it, like let’s go. Right here in the 2nd row. Kent Ross champy Flage, yesterday you talked about you and your teammates all playing that great game together. You had 7 teammates that, you know, scored in double digits. You all had *** couple of steals. How was it to have, you know, so many teammates play that good game tonight? It was amazing. That’s what we need and that’s who we are. Um, I think like in the beginning of the season, like *** lot of people got playing time and then during SEC, like it dwindled *** little bit, but we have to show that we have *** bench that we can play, you know what I’m saying, that is just as talented, just as disciplined, and just as focused. So I think it’s important for them to gain that. Confidence and know that they can play in the postseason, know that they can play in these games and know that we have confidence in them and Coach Smokey has confidence in them. And I just feel like when everybody’s clicking like we’re great. And so, um, you see flashes of it though. Early in the season, Duke, Bella, big plays, Grace, big plays, the big plays. So just instilling that confidence. We’re gonna need everybody. It’s not gonna just take me and Makayla and Malete no it’s gonna take everybody. So I’m glad everybody, uh, getting their feet wet for sure. Scott Rapala with The Advocate plus, uh, if y’all scored 116 in *** game and y’all tied the record for most 100 point games in *** season. What are your practices like? I mean, how, how, how much do y’all get up and down in practice? I mean, y’all have ***, you know, you know how many points y’all scored in *** practice, or I don’t let them go up against each other. They don’t love each other. We don’t go up and down in all seriousness, we go against the guys because. I want to sometimes and I’m like, no, because if this one scores on this one and she’s gonna get pissed and this one’s gonna get mad at this one and then they just go at what you love in the preseason, but not during the course of the season. I’ve thought so many times I need to do it, but I just say let the guys do it. Yeah. This, I assume when playing basketball if you play at *** high level, this is what you want to play, you know, how, how much fun is it to play like this? It’s so fun, bro. If you wanna hoop, come to LSU, you know, like if you really just wanna hoop like Coach Mokey, like she really just like go ball, you know what I mean? And um, I think like. Everybody looking at her like this is why people like to come and play at LSU. Like this is why we get all the best transfers and the best freshmen because they like to come play this style of basketball. If you could put the ball in the hoop, you know what I’m saying, if you can run the floor, like you’re gonna love playing here and that’s what I love to do. That’s what 12 love to do, like, you know, it’s just really fun. We score *** lot of buckets and um in practice we always just emphasize and just push ahead, push ahead. Two more for the players here in the front and then Michael and that’ll be it for the players. Chasity to Uvi with New Media. This is for Coach Mulkey. Hold on just *** second. Do them first. We’re gonna do the players, the players first. Oh, what y’all think y’all can do differently to win again on Sunday? Clean up mistakes. Um, I believe that, um. If we clean up those small things, those small mistakes, being on help side, talking on defense, helping the helper, being in *** rotation, like those small things win championships, um, transition defense, uh, cleaning up those things, and I think those are like mental lapses, and we’re, and we’re *** younger team. So I think just getting everybody to realize how crucial those little things are, and, um, it starts with us, it starts with me and 12, and so we’re gonna get in the film room and fix that. One more for the players, Michael. Yeah, Michaela, just, um. Flage touched on it earlier, but getting the young girls involved, you know, like we said, it’s the first time for them. How do you think they did tonight? Um, they did great. They came out ready to play. They came out playing hard and they came out listening. I, I think I’ve said this since, um, we started that they’re they’re eager to learn, they’re eager to play, and they’re just great people and humans to be around. So they did great and I’m excited to see how far they go, um, in this tournament. Fla Mika, thanks for your time. Congratulations. Appreciate you joining us. Good. See y’all. Take your drink, baby. Body armor. We’ll get it. OK, same procedure. If you’ll please introduce yourself and your affiliation now, we’ll open up the floor for questions for Coach Mulkey. Ron Higgins Shreveport Bossier Journal. Kim, is there any way you can nitpick *** 58 point victory? I mean, tell me. You want me to tell you, go look at that second quarter we gave up. They shot 50something%, didn’t they? 58%. That, that’s too many points. And I think I said it coming off the floor when the, uh, ESPN lady asked me and I said, it’s too many points. You got to clean that up. And, um, Yeah, well, we will nitpick it, but we won’t nitpick it so much that we’re going to look back at that. We’ve got to move forward. We got to get out here and watch this game and, um, do ***, *** scouting report. On them and get ready to practice tomorrow. Yeah. I think we had *** few too many turnovers, but the second quarter was, was sloppy. Back row. John Sokoloff with, uh, WGNO in New Orleans. What did you think of your offense tonight and, and what did you think of, uh, tying the Division One record for most 100 point games in *** season? Um, the offense is not surprising. We’ve seen that all year. I’ve said it so many times. I, I feel like I’m, you know, *** recorder. Um, we can score the ball. Um, We just have to keep committing to things defensively when you play the great teams that are as good as you or better than you. And we’ve got to make sure that, um, you know, we, we show them turnovers. We gotta make sure the defensive help is there and, uh, we, we got sloppy doing that. Um, the record, um, Yeah, I don’t know how many 100 point, what’s the record? What, how many have we done? 15. So we’ve scored 15 games this year, 100 points. And that’s tied the record? Yeah, that’s, that’s *** lot of scoring, but I’ve got *** lot of scores out there. Michael. Kim, uh, just Amaya, is she good to go? Coach’s decision. Yes, she’s good to go. Yeah, she’ll, she’ll play in the next game. Got you. And then just the decision to, to start grace in the second half. I’m thinking you want to get these young girls’ minutes. Yeah, and it was also my decision to put her back in in the first half when she had 2. See, you didn’t ask me about that, cobble. You’re not staying on top of things, son, OK, because I don’t normally do that, but I needed Grace to get some minutes. And the score was such that, as I told her, I don’t care if you foul out in the first half, play hard. She needed to get in the flow in some minutes, and I don’t know that I’ve done that many times in my career. Um, So what was your question? Time. Oh, I, I thought everybody did fine. Um, we almost had 8 of the 9 that played score double figures. So I think Bella and Devine didn’t, but I think Bella had like 10 rebounds, didn’t she? um. And she tweaked her ankle *** little bit there, and, but she’s fine. Brett. Martel with AP. So I know you emphasize defense and rebounding. How much do you think that has to do with the number of high scoring games you’ve had this year, or is it, is it just the scoring town, or is it the defense creates scoring I think it’s, it’s. It’s *** little of both depending on the game. Some games we’re getting given up one shot. We don’t let them get 2nd and 3rd shot, so we’re turning and we’re throwing it up quickly. I think it’s athleticism. You better get him, you better get on and move when full wall he’s in that ballgame. Um, we’re gonna push the ball up the floor. Uh, some of it is defensive stuff, but I think it just depends on the, the game, uh, you know, the opponent. Um, I think it’s just *** little bit of everything, but. You just look at all of them and they can all score in different ways, um. I mean, Jada’s *** scoring point guard. Full while he’s *** scoring guard when she’s at the point. So let him, let him rip. Let it fly. Chesa Chessa Boucher with NBC 33 here in Baton Rouge. Just talk about what you saw out of Flage and Makayla, their chemistry, and also my second question. Sakaya Johnson just seems to be *** silent assassin. I mean, she got after it and we’re talking about everybody else. Well, there was *** point there, was it, I don’t know, help me, 3 or 4 minutes left in the game, and I looked out there and I had that freshman class, and I thought this is fun for me to watch, you know, to watch those freshmen out there together. Um, Makayla Flage. Um, I say this every chance I get. You may never see the likes of them staying at an institution. This one’s 4 and unless something crazy happens, I would think Makayla’s gonna be here 4 years and she’s right. She had to help recruit Makyla. Um, but that’s what you should do. Great players wanna play with great players. Um, Z. I put her at the 3 *** little bit there at the end of the game. That’s her natural position and she’s done nothing but be *** great teammate, uh, *** joy to coach and whatever you need me to do coach, I just want to play and that’s why I moved her inside. Andre Champa, Tiger Rag, Coach, we’ve seen the depth and the versatility all year, but when it comes to March, just talk about how fun it is being able to roll out so many lineups, especially against teams that you’ve never seen before and how challenging that may be for other teams. Well, it allows you to play them early in the games. Uh, because you have seen them perform in the SEC games. Uh, regardless of what the score is. It gives you some confidence to look down there and go, Bella, get in there for Flage and give her *** breather, regardless of what the score is because, um, Those kids They’re freshmen. And if you don’t give them minutes through the course of the year, you’re not gonna have confidence when you get down to the playoffs. And um I’m very confident putting different lineups out there as you see. Um I don’t think you can do *** scouting report on us and say McKayla Flage and everybody else. I think you better do *** detailed scouting report because you don’t know who we’re gonna start, who we’re gonna play, um, the flow of the game. Uh, I can go big with two bigs. I can go big, small, I can go both small. The game just kind of dictates that. Last two questions for coach, uh, Jacques, and then right here in the front. Jacque, go ahead. Uh, Jacques do say WFBTV in Baton Rouge. Are you looking forward to Sunday and what the atmosphere could be like now that it’s official and this will be the last game? Well, I am, um, I was pleased with the crowd today as the game got going. I looked up and I said, well, we’ve filled this thing other than about 34 sections in the end zone behind the students, and that concerned me because 5 o’clock is traffic around here and it’s people getting off work. Um, but I will say this again. Fla Johnson deserves to have this place sold out. What she has meant to our community, uh, to women’s basketball, to all sports at LSU. When you think about LSU sports, We can all sit here and start naming people that played in all the sports. Flaget may be the only one that we don’t need to know who her what her last name is. You just say Flage. She’ll go down in the history of LSU athletics as not only *** young lady that stayed 4 years, first McDonald’s All-American, I signed here, won *** national championship. Elite Eight, she’s been in, what she gives and does in the community with all her money and, um, she’s just, she’s *** joy. And as *** coach, man, you hope you can just coach those kind of kids. Uh, in your lifetime, and I’ve been blessed to coach several, um, but it’s just we need to sell this place out and it was *** great crowd today, but I saw *** few empty seats so I’m gonna harp on that tonight and tomorrow and um hopefully. It’ll be *** memorable. Day or night, I don’t know if we’re playing *** daytime game or *** night game yet, but. Let’s let’s do our part as people that appreciate *** young athlete like that. Right in the front. Hey, Kim, it’s, uh, Megan Hall with USA Today. Um, this is *** little bit of an off the wall question, but I wanted to ask, um, your outfits during March Madness are some of the most memorable that I’ve seen in the last several seasons. So I wanted to ask, like, what do you do with these like outfits after you’ve worn them at such *** like momentous time? Like, are they in *** collection anywhere? No, they’re in my closet, and I guess at the end of the summer, somebody will come get them and auction them off. I don’t know. Um, Yeah, I don’t know. They just leave them at my house and. So I’m supposed to wear that tonight and I’ll wear it. I don’t, I don’t, yeah, I don’t know. I heard something on the radio that fashion trends recycle every 20 years, so 20 years from now you can. Say that again. Recycle fashion. The cycles in fashion, you know, bell bottoms. I wear *** lot of bell bottoms, and you know, some of y’all are pretty dang old in this room right here. Y’all can remember the bell bottom days, right? Go ahead. I won’t, I won’t point you out, but you know what I’m talking about. I did have *** follow up to my earlier question, um, on defense, uh. Could you just comment specifically on the points off turnovers? I think it was 18 steals, 38 points off turnovers. Well, you’re being active, um, you’re playing *** team, um, that’s, you know, not supposed to win, but you can’t look at, Where they’re placed. You’re, you’re looking at, you’re in our, you’re in our bracket, you’re in our way, and you’re one of the 6 games we need to win and you go out there and you play hard. And I think we have Athleticism, speed and quickness with certain ones on the floor, but we also have strength. We also have some strength out there. So, um, get after it. And, and if people score, and I thought Jacksonville did score in that 2nd quarter, um, Uh, make, make the shots that they make hard. And um, Just play defense. When you head on down this road, guys. It’s gonna get tougher. And you hope that your defense, you hope that you’re rebounding, Uh, can help you when you’re not scoring 100 points or whatever we did, you know, 15 times this year. Good teams are going to make you execute in *** half court. When you get right down to it, you’re not gonna get all those fast break points, you’re not gonna get all those steals. When it gets closer to narrowing this field down, you’re gonna have to execute in *** half court. Coach, congratulations. Thank you for your time. We will see you again tomorrow. We’re gonna do *** reset here in Baton Rouge. We’ll be right back. We’ll hear from Jacksonville in just *** moment. the not for the Hasn’t been announced yet. If we get it after this game, we’ll announce it.
LSU Tigers roar past Jacksonville Dolphins in First Round of NCAA Tournament
LSU Tigers roar past Jacksonville Dolphins in First Round of NCAA Tournament
Updated: 8:34 PM CDT Mar 20, 2026
The No. 2 seed LSU Tigers dominate the No. 15 seed Jacksonville Dolphins 116-58 Friday inside the PMAC in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.This was the 15th time the Tigers scored at least 100 points this season, tying a Division I record set by Long Beach State in the 1986-87 season.This was a game of program records for LSU.The 116 points was the most points scored in an NCAA Tournament game.LSU jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.The Tigers led 34-14 after the first quarter.The 34 points is the most in program history in any quarter in an NCAA Tournament game.The Tigers kept the records coming in this blowout win.Kim Mulkey’s team led 64-36 at the half, which is the most points scored in the first half by the Tigers in an NCAA Tournament game.LSU had seven players score in double figures, led by Flau’jae Johnson’s 20 points.Mikaylah Williams had the best all-around game with 18 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.Jada Richard had 17 points, ZaKiyah Johnson had 16 points and 4 steals and MiLaysia Fulwiley had 13 points and 3 blocks.LSU had 38 points off of 28 Jacksonville turnovers.The Tigers had 18 steals, which is also program record for an NCAA Tournament game.The Tigers will face the winner of Texas Tech-Villanova Sunday in the Second Round.
BATON ROUGE, La. —
The No. 2 seed LSU Tigers dominate the No. 15 seed Jacksonville Dolphins 116-58 Friday inside the PMAC in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.
This was the 15th time the Tigers scored at least 100 points this season, tying a Division I record set by Long Beach State in the 1986-87 season.
This was a game of program records for LSU.
The 116 points was the most points scored in an NCAA Tournament game.
LSU jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
The Tigers led 34-14 after the first quarter.
The 34 points is the most in program history in any quarter in an NCAA Tournament game.
The Tigers kept the records coming in this blowout win.
Kim Mulkey’s team led 64-36 at the half, which is the most points scored in the first half by the Tigers in an NCAA Tournament game.
LSU had seven players score in double figures, led by Flau’jae Johnson’s 20 points.
Mikaylah Williams had the best all-around game with 18 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.
Jada Richard had 17 points, ZaKiyah Johnson had 16 points and 4 steals and MiLaysia Fulwiley had 13 points and 3 blocks.
LSU had 38 points off of 28 Jacksonville turnovers.
The Tigers had 18 steals, which is also program record for an NCAA Tournament game.
The Tigers will face the winner of Texas Tech-Villanova Sunday in the Second Round.