Flau'Jae Johnson makes triumphant March Madness injury return in LSU's 55-point win
03/23/2025 02:09 PM
Flau'Jae Johnson returned from injury with a 22-point game to help No. 3 seed LSU women's basketball cruise to a 103-48 win over No. 14 seed San Diego State in the first round of the NCAA women's tournament on Saturday night in Baton Rouge.
Johnson, who missed the SEC tournament with a right shin injury, wore a compression sleeve on her leg but showed no signs of lingering effects. She was sharp on both ends, finishing with several explosive plays and providing the early spark LSU needed.
“I told myself when I came back that I wanted to be the energy for the team,” Johnson said, per ESPN News Services. “I know that’s what we needed.”
LSU opened the game with an 11-0 run, highlighted by a Johnson steal and layup. The Tigers quickly built a double-digit lead and never looked back, shooting 59% in the first half and hitting six of their first 10 3-point attempts.
Tigers forward Aneesah Morrow returned from a left foot injury and added 12 points and 12 rebounds, her 28th double-double of the season. Mikaylah Williams contributed 13 points as LSU improved to 29-5 overall and advanced to face No. 6 seed Florida State in the second round on Monday.
LSU women’s basketball now has 22-1 NCAA tournament opener record
LSU coach Kim Mulkey praised the team's ball movement and unselfishness, stressing the importance of sharing the ball.
“I think your word — unselfish — is pretty spot-on,” Mulkey said of LSU’s effort. “And I said that to them in a timeout. We had a lot of ball reversal; we shared the ball.
“I thought that everybody was excited; everybody was excited for each other. And when everybody gets to play — and contribute — they all go home feeling good.”
LSU improved to 22-1 all-time in NCAA Tournament openers under Mulkey.
San Diego State (25-10), the Mountain West champion, struggled from the field and did not have a player score in double digits. Adryana Quezada led the Aztecs with eight points. The loss came in SDSU's first tournament appearance since 2012 — also a first-round defeat to LSU.
The Tigers led by as many as 32 points in the first half and dominated on both ends throughout the game.
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