BATON ROUGE, La. — Flau’Jae Johnson made a triumphant return with 22 points as LSU women’s basketball team shattered a school record for points in an NCAA Tournament game by defeating San Diego State 103-48 on Saturday night. Aneesah Morrow, contributing 12 points and 12 rebounds, added to her national lead in double-doubles, now totaling 28, in her first game since suffering a left foot injury during the Southeastern Conference Tournament. Both players, having recently dealt with injuries, showed resilience and skill in the first-round win. Johnson played with a compression sleeve on her shin but demonstrated the dynamism and skill that have made her a standout in college basketball.
“I told myself when I came back that I want to be the energy for the team,” Johnson expressed. “Not playing changes your perspective and makes you give everything on the court.” Morrow described LSU’s landmark score and 55-point victory as crucial for building confidence and momentum for the rest of March. Mikaylah Williams chipped in with 13 points for LSU (29-5), the third seed in Spokane 1 region, which will next face No. 6 seed Florida State in a second-round game on Monday night.
The Tigers had the luxury of resting their stars, with Coach Kim Mulkey keeping Morrow on the floor for 25 minutes and Johnson for 22. “I’ve seen a lot of first-round games where teams’ main players have to play extended minutes,” Mulkey said, “Luckily, we didn’t have to do that tonight.” San Diego State (25-10), champion of the Mountain West Conference, struggled, with no player reaching double figures in scoring. Adryana Quezado had the team-high with eight points.
San Diego State coach Stacie Terry-Hutson remarked, “We expected some challenges with rebounding and LSU’s transition game, but their pace was faster than anticipated. Scoring at the tempo they did makes them formidable moving forward.” LSU started strong with an 11-0 lead, capped by a Johnson steal and layup, celebrated by blowing a kiss towards the student cheering section. Johnson noted, with a smile, “And my boyfriend was there,” clarifying her gesture’s intention to include all the supportive students.
Highlighting their dominance, LSU took a 31-10 lead early in the second quarter with Sa’Myah Smith’s layup, extending the lead to 32 by halftime when Morrow’s shot completed a 7-0 run.
**Takeaways**
San Diego State: Despite entering with an eight-game winning streak and their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2012, the Aztecs struggled against LSU’s size and defense. Shooting only 32% (18-56) for the game and trailing in rebounding at 53-31 hindered their efforts.
LSU: With a refreshed roster, the Tigers wasted no time establishing control, shooting 59% in the first half, including six of their first 10 from beyond the arc. Finishing the game at 50% (36 of 72) and knocking down 10 of 18 from three-point range, LSU’s comprehensive performance left only the winning margin in question.
**Key Stat**
LSU capitalized on San Diego State’s mistakes, scoring 25 points from 19 turnovers. In contrast, the Aztecs managed only two points from 11 LSU turnovers.
**Up Next**
LSU seeks to reach the NCAA Tournament’s third round for the third consecutive year, a streak beginning with the 2023 championship run, before last season’s run to the Elite 8 halted by Iowa.
