Welcome to the Buzzsaw: LSU Dismantles Jacksonville in Historic 116-58 Rout

Listen, if you were a Jacksonville Dolphin on Friday night, the Pete Maravich Assembly Center probably felt less like a basketball arena and more like an absolute buzzsaw.

The LSU Tigers didn’t just step onto the court to play a first-round NCAA Tournament game; they stepped out there to send a terrifying message to the rest of the bracket. In front of a raucous Baton Rouge crowd of over 10,000 strong, the Tigers ran the Dolphins right out of the gym with a staggering 116-58 victory. It was an offensive masterclass, a defensive clinic, and honestly, a little bit of a flex.

If you blinked after the opening tip, you probably missed the game being decided. LSU burst out of the gates with an 8-0 run in just over a minute. Junior Mikaylah Williams was out there handing out buckets like free samples, dropping six straight points before Jacksonville even had a chance to catch their breath. The Dolphins had to burn a timeout before the fans had even settled into their seats.

Spreading the Wealth Like Never Before

You know your offense is humming when the box score looks like a typo. LSU dropped 116 points—their highest total ever in an NCAA Tournament game—and they did it through pure, unadulterated teamwork.

Seven. That is how many Tigers scored in double figures on Friday night. For those keeping track at home, that ties an NCAA Tournament record. We aren’t just talking about a couple of stars carrying the load; this was a complete roster-wide demolition.

Senior Flau’jae Johnson led the charge with a cool 20 points, looking every bit the seasoned veteran ready for a deep March run. Mikaylah Williams followed closely with 18, while sophomore Jada Richard chipped in 17. Freshman ZaKiyah Johnson (16), junior MiLaysia Fulwiley (13), sophomore Kate Koval (11), and freshman Grace Knox (11) all got an invitation to the scoring party. When your entire rotation is catching fire at the exact same time, opposing coaches are going to have nightmares.

By the end of the first quarter, LSU had hung 34 points on the board. By halftime, they were up 64-36. Jacksonville fought hard—you have to respect the heart it takes to keep running the floor when the deficit keeps ballooning—but they were simply outmatched by a team operating on an entirely different frequency.

Kim Mulkey Etches Her Name in the History Books

While the players were rewriting the scoring records, their head coach was quietly—or maybe not so quietly, depending on her wardrobe choice for the evening—making her own brand of history.

With this blowout victory, Kim Mulkey secured her 150th win as the head coach of the LSU Tigers. It took her exactly 175 games to reach that milestone. To put that into perspective, she is now the fastest head coach in LSU women’s basketball history to hit 150 wins, shattering the record previously held by the absolute legend, Sue Gunter, who did it in 209 games.

Mulkey has completely rebuilt the DNA of this program. She’s turned Baton Rouge into an impenetrable fortress during the postseason. Her home record in NCAA Tournament games now sits at a laughable 25-2. You simply do not walk into her house in March and expect to leave with a win.

After the game, Mulkey praised her squad’s offensive firepower but sounded exactly like a coach plotting a championship run. “The offense is not surprising,” she said. “We can score the ball. We just have to keep committing to things defensively… we’ve got to make sure that we force turnovers.” Even after winning by 58 points, she is looking for defensive perfection. That is the mentality that wins rings.

What’s Next for the Tigers?

LSU now advances to the second round, waiting for the winner of the Texas Tech and Villanova clash. Whoever walks out of that tunnel on Sunday better have their track shoes laced up tight.

If the Tigers keep moving the ball, finding the open shooter, and suffocating teams in transition like they did against Jacksonville, the road to the Final Four is going to run directly through Baton Rouge. March is all about surviving and advancing, but on Friday night, LSU proved they aren’t just here to survive. They are here to dominate.