03/22/26 06:34:00
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03/22 18:32 CDT Johnson and Williams help LSU outgun Texas Tech 101-47 in March
Madness and set an NCAA record
Johnson and Williams help LSU outgun Texas Tech 101-47 in March Madness and set
an NCAA record
By BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) --- Flau'jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams each scored 24
points and No. 2 seed LSU set an NCAA record for 100-point games in a season
with a 101-47 victory over seventh-seeded Texas Tech on Sunday in the second
round of the women's NCAA Tournament.
Playing her final game on the campus where she spent her illustrious four-year
college career, Johnson gave a packed Pete Maravich Assembly Center crowd what
they came to see and savored every moment of adulation from fans, teammates and
her Hall of Fame coach, Kim Mulkey.
With LSU leading by 50 early in the fourth quarter, Mulkey ceremoniously subbed
Johnson out and they shared a long embrace. Johnson then raised both arms above
her head to acknowledge the roaring, standing crowd before pulling her jersey
up over her face to wipe her eyes.
"I lost it. I knew I was going to lose it, but I was holding strong," Johnson
said. "And then my teammates came and hugged me and it was like a roar that I
heard from the PMAC. I gave everything I had and just let everything out. It
was the most beautiful thing I've been a part of, something I'll remember
forever. I'm just so thankful."
Amiya Joyner added 11 points and 11 rebounds for LSU, which shot 56% against a
Lady Raiders squad that hangs its hat on its pressing defense and had allowed
just 52 points to Villanova in the first round and had not given up as many as
85 points in a game all season.
Jada Richard's 3 in the final minute pushed LSU (29-5) across the 100-point
mark for the 16th time this season, a women's Division I record, surpassing a
mark Long Beach State had owned since the 1986-87 season.
Bailey Maupin scored 19 to lead the Lady Raiders (26-8), who shot just 25% (16
of 63).
"This was our best defensive effort of the year," Johnson said. "Everybody was
everywhere. We were helping each other. I just thought it was amazing."
The Tigers, who came in averaging a nation's-best 95.1 points per game,
advanced to a fifth straight Sweet 16 under Mulkey in style.
LSU led by as many as 56 points, dazzling the partisan crowd with explosive,
up-tempo play, accurate spot-up shooting and an ability to finish through
contact at the rim.
With the crowd erupting for Johnson during introductions and whenever she had
the ball, she produced highlight after highlight.
There was a crossover dribble through converging defenders to set up a floating
scoop as she soared across the lane. She hit a pair of 3-pointers and deftly
finished at the rim on several fast breaks.
Tech defenders hustled hard to try to stay in front of her, and at one point
two Lady Raiders collided and fell under the basket as Johnson rose up along
the right side of the key, the ball in her right hand high above her head,
before she scored softly off the glass.
When Johnson wasn't giving Tech fits, Williams was, hitting a pair of 3s, an
array of mid-range jumpers and finishing strong in the paint.
"It's incredible the type of players they have and how quickly they can move
the ball up the floor," Texas Tech coach Krista Gerlich said. "It's incredible
to watch and it's very difficult to defend."
Gerlich noted that it was also tough for Tech to set up its defensive press in
LSU's back court because the Lady Raiders committed 19 turnovers and struggled
to make shots.
"Offense sells tickets," Gerlich said of LSU. "Defense wins championships ---
and it looks to me like they've got a little bit of both."
Williams had 14 points and Johnson 13 by halftime, when LSU 43-25.
When Johnson whipped a fast-break pass across the court to Williams for an
open, take-your-time 3 in the third quarter, Gerlich reacted with a wry smile.
The Tigers were in the proverbial zone.
As the third quarter wound down, Johnson used a jab step on the dribble to set
up a step-back 3 from the corner. That made it 76-32, and as the crowd went
wild, Johnson hopped in the air and pumped her fist.
Her home finale was going just as she'd envisioned, and her fourth straight
trip to the Sweet 16 was at hand.
"That's what you hope happens when they play their last game in their home
arena," Mulkey said. "That's what I told her. I said, 'What a way to go out.'
She was bawling and I was trying not to cry."
Up next
LSU is slated to play on Friday in the Sacramento 2 regional semifinals against
Duke. Texas Tech, which had nine seniors on this season's roster, heads into an
offseason of change.
___
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and
coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
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