LSU Falls to Duke, 87-85, In Sweet 16 On Buzzer-Beater

By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter

LSU’s kryptonite this season – its inability to finish close games – ultimately ended its NCAA Tournament run on Friday night. Needing just one defensive stop with 2.6 seconds remaining, Duke senior guard Ashlon Jackson hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give the third-seeded Blue Devils an 87-85 victory.

DUKE BUZZER-BEATER VS. LSU TO ADVANCE TO THE ELITE EIGHT 🚨

WHAT AN ENDING 😱 pic.twitter.com/gvqYaJ8gIe

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 28, 2026

While LSU (29-6, 12-4 Southeastern Conference) struggled down the stretch, much of the game’s outcome came down to its inability to produce in the paint on both ends of the floor.

LSU allowed Duke (27-8, 16-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) to grab 21 offensive rebounds, a major factor in the season-ending defeat. The Tigers’ failure to contain Duke sophomore forward Toby Fournier also proved costly, as Fournier scored 22 points on 6-of-15 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds, five on the offensive glass.

LSU’s four post players combined for 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting. Both sophomore Kate Koval and freshman ZaKiyah Johnson had no points.

Junior guard MiLaysia Fulwiley led LSU with a career-high 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting. Junior guard Mikaylah Williams added 22 points, and senior guard Flau’jae Johnson contributed 13.

All the momentum LSU built in the third quarter vanished in the opening minutes of the fourth. After Williams scored the first points of the period, Duke went on an 11-0 run to take a 78-67 lead with eight minutes remaining. The Blue Devils extended their advantage to 83-73 with five minutes left. Fulwiley hit a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 84-79 with just under three minutes remaining.

Williams made it a one-possession game with two minutes remaining after converting a layup to make it 84-81, then followed with a jumper to bring LSU within 84-83. Fulwiley later stole the ball in the half-court and had a chance to take the lead with over 30 seconds remaining but missed the layup. Duke missed both free throws on the ensuing possession, but LSU failed to secure the rebound, and the ball went out of bounds. Williams later sunk two free throws to give the Tigers an 85-84 lead with 9.2 seconds left.

The Tigers came out of halftime with a much different energy. Fulwiley hit a midrange jumper to complete a 10-4 run to start the second half, cutting Duke’s lead to one. Williams then gave LSU its first lead of the game since the opening points, scoring through contact and hitting a free throw to make it 53-52. Both teams traded baskets over the next few minutes.

LSU continued to fight, with Flau’jae Johnson scoring on back-to-back possessions to tie the game at 61 with 2:55 remaining in the third quarter. Johnson scored again inside to tie it at 65 before Duke hit a midrange jumper to take a 67-65 lead into the fourth. Johnson led the Tigers with 10 points in the quarter.

Rebounding woes carried over from the first quarter into the second, as Duke repeatedly grabbed offensive boards and converted second-chance opportunities. The Blue Devils led 34-23 with seven minutes remaining before halftime. Fulwiley kept LSU in the game, scoring her sixth point of the quarter to make it 38-30.

LSU cut Duke’s lead to five when Joyner converted an and-one opportunity. Williams then hit a crucial three-pointer to bring LSU within 44-40 with 2:17 left in the half. On the next possession, a turnover by Williams led to another and-one transition layup by Duke, giving the Blue Devils a 47-40 lead at the break. It was the most points LSU has allowed in a first half all season.

The Tigers opened the game with a pair of free throws by Williams to take a 2-0 lead. However, just like in their first matchup, LSU struggled early. Duke jumped ahead 9-2 with 6:07 remaining in the first quarter, dominating the glass by outrebounding LSU 8-2 in the first four minutes. After a few trips to the free-throw line, LSU cut the deficit to 9-5. Following a brief stretch of traded baskets, Duke led 13-9 with 4:09 left in the quarter.

Later, Fulwiley hit a deep three to make it 22-19 with 35 seconds remaining, but Duke responded with a midrange jumper just before the buzzer to take a 24-19 lead into the second quarter. The Blue Devils outscored LSU 14-6 in the paint in the opening period.