Kim Mulkey and LSU Women’s Basketball Back at Home To Face Alcorn State on Thursday

By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, TIGER RAG STAFF Writer

The No. 5 LSU women’s basketball team (5-0) is set to host Alcorn State (2-2) at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for a Thursday night contest in Baton Rouge (7 p.m., SEC Network+).

The Tigers and Lady Braves will be meeting for the ninth time in series history Thursday night with LSU holding the 8-0 advantage. LSU and Alcorn State last played in Coach Kim Mulkey’s first season on Dec. 15, 2021, in the Maravich Center, with the Tigers winning 100-36.

LSU is coming off its fifth consecutive 100-point victory against Tulane (101-71) in New Orleans. The Tigers’ five-game streak of 100-point games matched the Southeastern Conference record. The other team to accomplish the feat was Mulkey’s 2022-23 LSU team that went on to claim the program’s first national championship. 

In addition to another 100-point game, LSU’s 559 points through five games this season marks the most across five games in Division I over the last 25 years.

“We can score the ball. We can also pass the ball. So, you better have your hands ready. That’s (pushing the floor) fun basketball,” Mulkey said.

LSU freshman forward ZaKiyah Johnson had her fifth straight game of scoring 10 or more points after scoring 14 against the Green Wave. Mulkey says Johnson’s motor allows the Tigers to be dangerous both down low and in transition.

“She just never gets winded. She never gets tired,” Mulkey said. “She’s deceptively quick on her jumps. She’s going to run the floor, so she’s going to be a nightmare for a lot of the posts having to guard her. She’s special, she really is.”

Senior Flau’Jae Johnson led the Tigers in scoring against the Green Wave, scoring 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting. In addition to Flau’Jae, four other Tigers finished in double figures including MiLaysia Fulwiley (20), Mikaylah Williams (16), ZaKiyah Johnson (14) and Amiya Joyner (12). Fulwiley finished with a career high eight steals, surpassing her seven steals from the season opener against Houston Christian.

“Fulwiley, for example. Woah. She can do things, but now she’s doing it with a kid named Flau’Jae and another kid named Mikaylah,” Mulkey said. “So, it’s like, which one’s going to do something special next?”

Alcorn State is led by sixth-year head coach Nate Kilbert. The Braves are coming off a win against Arkansas Baptist.

It will be LSU’s last home game of the month as the Tigers will take a week to prepare for the Paradise Jam Tournament, which will take place at the University of the Virgin Islands on St. Thomas Island from Nov. 27-30. LSU faces Marist in its first matchup on Nov. 28 at 7 p.m.