BATON ROUGE, La.— No. 2 LSU wasted no time asserting control in its NCAA Tournament second-round matchup against No. 7 Texas Tech, rolling to a dominant victory to advance to the Sweet 16.
The Tigers came out firing, opening the game on a 10-0 run in the first quarter and never looking back. LSU shot 56% from the field and forced 19 turnovers, converting defense into offense throughout the night.
Opelousas native Jada Richard controlled the game at point guard, finishing with 10 points, five assists and no turnovers. Her steady presence helped LSU maintain rhythm offensively while setting the tone defensively.
Mikaylah Williams and Flau’jae Johnson led the scoring with 24 points each as LSU dominated the glass, out rebounding Texas Tech 44-27.
Texas Tech struggled to find consistency, shooting just 25% from the field. Bailey Maupin led the Lady Raiders with 19 points.
In the fourth quarter, Richard added to the moment, knocking down a 3-pointer to push LSU past the 100-point mark, making it their 16th 100-point game of the season the most by any team in NCAA history. Rolling to a 101-47 over the Lady Raiders.
With the win, LSU moves on to the Sweet 16, continuing its push deeper into March.
For Richard, the milestone is part of a bigger goal.
“We know that we have all types of talented and skilled players that can score at will,” Richard said. “But if we want to go far, we have to be able to lock down on the defensive end. That’s something we’ve taken seriously these past couple of weeks in practice.”
She added that the team’s focus remains internal as the tournament continues.
“It’s a blessing. That’s what we work for Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four,” Richard said. “That’s what we wake up and play for. For us, it’s just focusing on us and the things we need to work on, and then we’ll get ready for whoever is next.”
No. 2 LSU will now face No. 3 Duke in Sacramento in the Sweet 16.
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