As the college women’s basketball season begins, LSU has already set a new milestone.
On Thursday, the No. 9 Tigers faced Texas Southern (also the Tigers) in LSU’s second game of the season, achieving a staggering 131-22 victory that established a record for the largest Division I win in NCAA history.
Head coach Kim Mulkey took this opportunity to leverage her bench strength: Seven different players played 20 minutes or more, and 10 players contributed points. The blowout included seven players reaching double digits in scoring.
The 109-point victory margin surpassed the previous NCAA Division I record by a single point. This record had been set by Baylor, with a score of 140-32 against Winthrop in 2016, a game also coached by Mulkey before her transition to LSU in 2021.
The dominant win featured an incredible second quarter, where LSU tallied 40 points while holding Texas Southern to none. Texas Southern’s total of 22 points marked the fewest allowed under Mulkey, according to ESPN; they scored 13 of those points in the first quarter and managed only nine in the entire second half.
Freshman Anna Minaeva, a player from Russia whose signing sparked some controversy leading to a transfer by a Ukrainian player, led both squads with 21 points and seven rebounds coming off the bench. Senior guard Mikaylah Williams contributed 20 points.
Additionally, LSU took this occasion to pay tribute to former forward Angel Reese, presenting her with flowers following her notable performance in the WNBA Finals just a week prior.
LSU’s seemingly easy early-season schedule will persist in the upcoming weeks, as they prepare to host teams like McNeese and Denver to gear up for more intense SEC competition.
The Tigers will encounter their first significant challenge in late November with a home game against No. 25 NC State, followed by an away game against No. 9 North Carolina on December 2. They will match up against No. 2 UConn, who lost to Michigan on Thursday, on December 20.
