The second-seeded LSU women’s basketball team scored a program-high 116 points in an NCAA Tournament game in its 116-58 win over Jacksonville on Friday (Photo by LSU Athletics)
By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
The second-seeded LSU women’s basketball team was dominant in its 116-58 first round win against fifteenth-seeded Jacksonville on Friday evening at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. With the win, the Tigers advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight year.
LSU’s 116 points scored were the most in program history in an NCAA Tournament game, breaking last year’s record of 103 points scored against San Diego State.
Friday’s win also marked the 15th time this season that LSU has scored 100 or more points in a game – tying an NCAA single-season record – which Long Beach State set in 1986-87.
LSU will face seventh-seeded Texas Tech (25-7, 12-6 Big 12 Conference) on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT.
LSU (28-5, 12-4 Southeastern Conference) made 43-of-its-72 (59.7%) shots on the night.
Flau’jae Johnson led LSU in scoring with 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting (50%). Six other Tigers scored in double digits, including junior guard Mikaylah Williams (18), sophomore guard Jada Richard (17), freshman forward ZaKiyah Johnson (16), junior guard MiLaysia Fulwiley (13), sophomore forward Kate Koval (11) and freshmen forward Grace Knox (11).
Senior forward Amiya Joyner did not play due to a “coach’s decision.”
“She’s good to go. She’ll play in the next game,” head coach Kim Mulkey said after the game.
The Tigers opened the first four minutes of the fourth and final quarter of the day on a 10-6 run to take a 104-54 lead. LSU outscored Jacksonville (24-9, 13-6 Atlantic Sun Conference) 22-10 in the final period.
LSU continued to shoot the lights out coming out of the break. The Tigers led 84-46 after scoring 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the first six minutes of the period. Richard beat the buzzer on a midrange to give the Tigers a 94-48 lead heading into the final ten minutes. The Opelousas native scored a team-high 7 points in the quarter on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting.
Richard started the scoring in the second quarter after she kissed a shot off the glass to make it 36-14. Later, Williams scored on back-to-back possessions to give LSU a 48-23 lead with 6:09 remaining. Flau’jae Johnson then gave the Tigers a 29-point lead after finishing at the rim through traffic. But Jacksonville responded. The Dolphins used a 9-0 run to cut LSU’s lead to 18. Before the buzzer sounded, ZaKiyah Johnson made a layup with no trouble to give the Tigers a 64-36 lead at the break.
LSU set a program record for most points scored in a single half in an NCAA Tournament game with 64.
LSU’s 64 points are the most points the Tigers have scored in a half in the NCAA tournament since dropping 59 on Iowa in the 2023 championship game 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8STH6oDBE7
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) March 20, 2026
LSU drew first blood when ZaKiyah Johnson converted on a layup through contact to take a 2-0 lead. The Tigers jumped out to a commanding 14-0 lead two minutes into the game. It wasn’t until the 7:30 mark until Jacksonville was able to respond with its first bucket of the game. Later, Flau’jae Johnson knocked down a three-point jumper in transition to give LSU a 20-4 lead with six minutes left to play in the quarter. The Tigers finished the quarter on a 14-10 run to go into the second quarter with a 34-14 lead. LSU shot 9-of-14 (64. from the field in the opening ten minutes