LSU Prepares To Lean On Smaller Lineups In NCAA Tournament Opener Vs. Jacksonville

By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter

The second-seeded LSU women’s basketball team will look to set the tone for the NCAA Tournament when it faces fifteenth-seeded Jacksonville on Friday evening at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center (5 p.m., ESPN).

Bob Starkey Breaks Down What to Expect from Jacksonville

LSU (27-5, 12-4 Southeastern Conference) is aiming to win its fifth straight first-round NCAA Tournament game. The Tigers have scored 100 or more points in 14 games this season, and one more would tie the NCAA single-season record of 15, set by Long Beach State in 1986-87.

Jacksonville (24-8, 13-5 Atlantic Sun Conference) has just three players taller than 6-1, with its tallest at 6-2, which could lead LSU to lean on smaller lineups. One of head coach Kim Mulkey’s preferred adjustments in those situations features junior guard Mikaylah Williams at the four – a role she embraces.

“When I go down there, I feel like it opens up the floor for everybody,” Williams said on Thursday. “I can go set some good screens for the guards and it’s hard because the other people have to make a decision. And I think that kind of opens up the floor for me as well because they can’t necessarily double because I have shooters on the outside that I’m able to pass to.”

LSU has thrived against smaller teams this season, using its versatile lineups to dominate opponents like Alabama, Auburn and Missouri. Freshman forward ZaKiyah Johnson, a former guard now playing in the post, is particularly excited about the matchup.

“I think it’ll be fun because I kind of get to get pulled out a little but more,” Johnson said on Thursday. “I’ve kind of been in the post this season, but they (Jacksonville) have a perimeter four and a perimeter five that can really go out on the arc and have guard skills. And I think that’ll be a good matchup for us, too because we’re kind of small in the post, too. We can match up with them as well. We’ll play the same game that we always play, but you kind of have to be intentional about the lineups.”

If LSU opts for a bigger lineup, it will hold a clear size advantage in the paint. Sophomore forward Kate Koval believes that could create problems for Jacksonville.

“They will have a difficulty guarding us in the paint,” Koval said on Thursday. “We worked a lot on being doubled and passing the ball out to the guards and moving the ball out on the perimeter, multiple passes before we even take a shot,” Koval said.

#LSU working on pick-and-roll drills ahead of its first-round game versus fifteenth-seeded Jacksonville on Friday. pic.twitter.com/iXm3qpb1i4

— Andre Champagne (@andrechampagnee) March 19, 2026

The Dolphins are led by 6-2 graduate guard Priscillia Williams, who paces the team in scoring (15.4 ppg), rebounding (8.6 rpg) and assists (2.4 apg). Jacksonville also leads the nation in free-throw attempts per game at 25.84.

It will be a difficult challenge for Jacksonville to keep up with the Tigers’ athleticism, making this a perfect opportunity for them to find their rhythm at the right time.