LSU Scores All the Points (Literally, All of Them)
If the basket at the Maravich Center filed a restraining order against the LSU Tigers this week, no one would blame it. It has been assaulted.
The No. 5 Tigers just finished a weekend doubleheader where they scored a combined 213 points. I haven't done that much math since high school calculus, and frankly, my calculator is tired.
LSU is 11-0, and they aren't just winning games; they are turning opponents into cautionary tales.
Sunday: The "Video Game Mode" Victory
On Sunday, LSU faced New Orleans. Or rather, New Orleans stood on the court while LSU ran a track meet.
LSU 126, New Orleans 62.
That is not a basketball score; that is a bowling score for a mediocre bowler. The Tigers eclipsed the 100-point mark for the ninth time in 10 games. They have so many 100-point games that they might need to install a third digit on the scoreboard just to be safe.
Kate Koval, the 6-foot-5 transfer from Notre Dame, decided that missing shots was for other people. She went 9-of-9 from the field for a career-high 22 points. She basically parked in the paint, looked down at the defenders, and said, "Excuse me, I'll be taking this."
And can we talk about MiLaysia Fulwiley? The South Carolina transfer dropped 18 points and 8 assists, including a no-look, behind-the-back pass across the paint to Amiya Joyner. That pass was so disrespectful that it should have come with a written apology.
LSU scored 86 points in the paint. New Orleans scored 62 points total. You do the math.
Saturday: The "Finals Week Hangover"
Before they dismantled UNO, the Tigers played Louisiana Tech on Saturday in the "Compete 4 Cause Classic."
This one started... sluggishly. You know that feeling when you just finished four final exams and haven't slept in three days? That was LSU in the first quarter. They trailed 19-17. The alarm clock hadn't gone off yet.
But Mikaylah Williams (19 points) hit the snooze button and woke everyone up. It took three quarters of "meh" basketball, but then Kim Mulkey—playing against the school where she won three national titles (two playing, one coaching)—reminded everyone who runs the state.
LSU went on a 17-3 run late in the third to blow the doors off. Fulwiley scored 8 of her 10 in the fourth, and the Tigers won 87-61.
It was a sentimental win for Mulkey, and a "thank goodness we woke up" win for the rest of the team.
The Sanchez Verdict
LSU is an offensive juggernaut. They are shooting 59% from the floor. They are scoring 126 points in regulation. They have transfers who don't miss and freshmen like ZaKiyah Johnson dropping 17 casually.
If you are a rim in the SEC, run for cover. The Tigers are coming, and they don't plan on stopping until the scoreboard breaks.
Sanchez out.
