Advancing to the Sweet 16 in Sacramento, California, LSU women’s basketball defeated Texas Tech 101-47 and broke the record for the most 100-point games in a single season after a defensive shutout and the final dance in the PMAC for the seniors.
LSU took the court on Sunday afternoon in Round 2 of March Madness against the Texas Tech Raiders, and this game held a little bit more weight for senior Flau’jae Johnson.
The stands were packed in purple and gold, and an energy was brewing among the fans that something special was going to happen in the PMAC. Almost every fan with a simple piece of paper, “4 Feaux,” and Johnson had no problem shining bright for an almost sold-out crowd.
Delivering yet another standout performance with 24 points, 4-for-5 on the free throw line and four rebounds. As Johnson stepped off the court, tears streaming down her face and an entire fan base feeling not only her impact on the team but also on the community, she is leaving a legacy behind as she checked out for one last time.
From the jump, the Raiders were a physically demanding team that LSU had seen only a handful of times so far this season, but the Tigers had no problem meeting those demands.
The noise was deafening, and with every call, good or bad, a very animated head coach, Kim Mulkey, was there to ensure that her team battled against an on-par Raiders defense. After taking nearly four minutes to get on the board, it was a dog fight until the end.
LSU took the lead early, but with some trouble from Texas Tech’s Bailey Maupin, who couldn’t stop scoring threes with 36 attempts compared to LSU’s 18 3-pointer attempts. After some questionable calls by the game officials, it seemed to only amplify the Tigers’ determination to keep dancing into the Sweet 16 in Sacramento.
Through the first half, there was one thing that LSU couldn’t isolate, and that was the defensive effort and performance from the Raiders that was spot on all afternoon.
At the start of the second, the crowd was louder than ever before, and the Tigers were on the prowl to finish this game off after ending the first half with a 45-27 score.
This LSU team came together under the pressure of a very physically demanding team, using it to its advantage. The Tigers took the chance to get to the free-throw line at any open moment.
Due to the nature of the Raiders, LSU had only 38.9% 3-point accuracy, which may seem worrisome, but it was not a concern given its high field-goal percentage, ending the game at 92.3%.
This complete team capitalized on the Raiders’ offensive fouls to take the lead and run up the score, grabbing yet another triple-digit win by over 50 points.
Electric became the only word to describe not only the atmosphere but also the Tigers’ play.
A team that was already on its A-game became unstoppable, with a freshman takeover from Grace Knox, Bella Hines and Zakiyah Johnson on the court, mixed with the veterans. This game was over before the final buzzer even sounded.
Snatching every rebound available, the Tigers stacked on nearly double the rebounds the Raiders had, stalling and applying defensive pressure like never seen before from Amiya Joyner, who made an impact from the second she stepped on the court.
As the final seconds of the clock ticked down, the Tigers said goodbye to Baton Rouge and hello to the Sweet 16 in Sacramento.