LSU women defeat NC Central in 100th win under Kim Mulkey | LSU

The LSU women’s basketball team ran against North Carolina Central on Sunday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center and won 131-44 for its 100th win under coach Kim Mulkey.

In the win, the No. 7 Tigers (9-0) scored the second-most points on the second-most field goals (49) in a single game in program history.

“It’s just about coaching good players,” Mulkey said. “Throughout my career I have been fortunate to coach players who believe in our system and what we do. And coming to LSU is no different than when I was at Baylor for over 20 years. Kids have to believe in this.” You, and they have to let you train them, and all these victories are theirs.

LSU outscored NC Central (0-10) 37-0 in the second quarter.

Star junior Flau’jae Johnson started the scoring drive by scoring the first nine points of the quarter, and sophomore center Aalyah Del Rosario capped it off by hitting two free throws. In the intervening season, LSU made 15 of its 27 field goal attempts, grabbed 10 offensive rebounds, stole seven possessions and blocked four shots.

An LSU lineup consisting of Johnson, Last-Tear Poa, Mikaylah Williams, Aneesah Morrow and Sa’Myah Smith provided the foundation for this gigantic 37-point run. Johnson first hit two three-pointers – one from the left wing and one from the right wing – and converted a layup through contact. Morrow added a basket on a pass into the post and then assisted on another as she crossed the baseline by getting Smith to an open layup.

That run allowed LSU to shake off a sloppy start. In the first quarter alone, the Tigers wasted three possessions, missed 12 shots and allowed four offensive rebounds.

“I stopped pushing,” Mulkey said. “I started in 1-2-1-1 and we just gave them too many open looks. And when you do the 1-2-1-1, that’s what happens. I just wanted us to not look lethargic. “I wanted us to come out with excitement and movement, so we just retreated back onto the pitch, in where it’s just man against man.

On Sunday, Johnson and Morrow were LSU’s top two scorers in the first half.

Johnson finished the game with 22 points, four blocks and a steal after shooting 8 of 14 from the floor. Morrow scored 17 points and 11 rebounds, recording her eighth double-double of the season.

Seven other Tigers scored in double figures, including transfer guard Kailyn Gilbert, who scored a season-high 19 points and four steals on 8 of 12 shooting, and star sophomore Mikaylah Williams, who finished second with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Double of her career.

In her second appearance of the season, transfer guard Mjracle Sheppard scored 10 points, grabbed seven rebounds and recorded seven steals, marking the highlight of her career.

NC Central, a winless Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference team, scored 18 points in the first quarter after hitting two 3-pointers and grabbing four offensive rebounds. But the Eagles missed their next dozen shots, fell behind by as many as 90 points and scored just 26 combined points in the final three quarters of the game.

According to Stathead, LSU has had two wins by at least 80 points since at least 2002, and each of those have come just in the last two seasons. Last year, the Tigers scored a program-record 133 points in an 89-point win over McNeese. Under Mulkey, LSU has now won six games by at least 70 points.

Three coaches have now led LSU to 100 wins – Mulkey, Nikki Fargas and Sue Gunter. Mulkey reached the milestone in 114 games, 13 fewer than the number of contests Gunter needed to achieve that many wins. She now has 732 career victories as a head coach, 14th all-time.

LSU will host the most important home game on its non-conference schedule, an SEC/ACC Challenge contest against Stanford (7-1), on Thursday at 8 p.m. This game will be broadcast on ESPN2.