Flau’Jae Johnson returns and the Tigers are moving on
For the first time since the calendar flipped from 2024 to 2025, the Tigers (29-5) looked like a Final Four caliber team as LSU demolished San Diego State 103-48 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
LSU, the Spokane Region 1 No. 3 seed, advance to the Round of 32 and will play Florida State, the No. 6 seed, Monday evening at 5:00.
The 103 points is a new program record for most points in an NCAA Tournament game; the previous high was the 102 points scored when LSU beat Iowa in the 2023 national championship game.
Saturday night was LSU’s first time taking the floor in two full weeks and the rest, clearly, did them some good. LSU scored the game’s first 11 points, and the Tigers went into the half up 49-20.
Flau’Jae Johnson made her return to the court after being held out of the SEC Tournament with shin inflammation. She wore a compression sleeve on her shin, but she still led all players in scoring with 22 points and was 4-7 from three.
“I told myself when I come back that I wanted to be the energy for the team,” Johnson said. “I know that’s what we needed.”
As a team, LSU was unusually hot from three. The Tigers hit 10 of 18 three-pointers and Mikaylah Williams—who finished with 13 points—was a perfect 3-3. Hopefully last night’s shooting wasn’t an aberration and can carry over between now and into the first weekend of April.
Last night also marked the return of Aneesah Morrow and the All-American increased her NCAA-leading double-double mark to 28 games. Morrow had 12 points and 12 rebounds.
You don’t score 103 points nor beat a conference champion by 55 points on accident and Saturday’s game was an example where everybody contributed. LSU was able to play 12 last night, and 11 players scored.
Sa’Myah Smith had a strong night with 10 points and eight rebounds and the Tiger bench had positive contributions. In fact, the LSU bench’s 45 points nearly outscored San Diego State’s entire team. Shayeann Day-Wilson (11 points), Mjracle Sheppard (10 points), and Aalyah Del Rosario (9 points) combined for 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists while Jersey Wolfenbarger had six points, two boards, a block and a steal in just 11 minutes.
“I thought that everybody was excited,” Kim Mulkey said. “Everybody was excited for each other. And when everybody gets to play, and contribute, they all go home feeling good.”
The name of the tournament is survive and advance, but in LSU’s case they thrived and advanced, and through one round they looked like the best team in their bracket. Southern, the No. 16 seed, was only down eight points heading into halftime against UCLA, the No. 1 seed; NC State, the No. 2 seed, was leading by six against Vermont, the No. 15 seed, going into the fourth quarter, and remember LSU already beat this Wolfpack team by 17 points on a neutral court.
We as fans can look ahead and map out a path for LSU to make it to Tampa, but the players and coaches can’t, because LSU will have its hands full Monday night. The Noles have some skins on the wall this season: they beat Notre Dame, another three seed, in South Bend in late February, so they likely won’t be intimidated playing inside the PMAC.