Tigers Drop Sweet 16 Contest Against Duke, 87-85 – LSU
SACRAMENT – No. 3 seed Duke’s Ashlon Jackson knocked down a three-pointer as time expired to elevate the Blue Devils to an 87-85 victory over the No. 2 seed LSU girls’s basketball crew Friday evening at Golden 1 Center within the Sweet 16 spherical of the NCAA Tournament.(*16*)
With the victory, Duke superior to the Elite Eight, bettering its general report to 27-8, whereas the Tigers dropped to 29-6 on the 12 months and their season got here to an in depth with fourth-straight Sweet 16 look.(*16*)
LSU juniors MiLaysia Fulwiley and Mikaylah Williams paced the LSU offense, accounting for over 50 p.c of the Tigers’ offense with 28 and 22 factors, respectively. Fulwiley’s 28 factors was a profession excessive, and she or he completed with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, one steal and one block. Williams additionally tallied 5 rebounds.(*16*)
Fulwiley completed third all-time at LSU in profession steals with 98 within the 2025-26 season.(*16*)
LSU bought the scoring began with two made free throws from Williams. Following that, Duke went on a 9-0 scoring run forcing the Tigers to make use of a timeout with 6:07 left within the first quarter. Coming out of the primary break, LSU responded by making it a 13-9 ballgame by the interval’s media timeout at 4:09. In the following 4 minutes, Duke saved LSU at arm’s size with the Tigers reducing the deficit to a few 3 times. (*16*)
The Blue Devils led the Tigers 24-19 on the shut of the primary quarter.(*16*)
Duke started the second quarter outscoring the Tigers, 10-4, pushing their lead out to 11 on a three-pointer from guard Taina Mair. LSU battled with the double-digit deficit and bought it to 5 with an and-one from senior Amiya Joyner. Both groups would commerce buckets down the stretch of the primary half and Duke would take the 47-40 lead into the locker room.(*16*)
Fulwiley carried the lion’s share of the Tigers’ scoring output, tallying 18 within the first 20 minutes with one rebound, and two assists.(*16*)
In the third quarter, LSU recovered from its powerful begin happening an 11-5 scoring run to offer the Tigers a 53-52 benefit on a Williams bucket and free throw following a foul. Both squads went back-and-forth after that lead modified with Duke holding a 61-59 lead on the media timeout. Duke would have the 67-65 benefit over LSU on the finish of the quarter.(*16*)
The Blue Devils kicked off the fourth quarter on an 11-4 scoring run to offer themselves a 78-67 lead. LSU slowly labored on climbing again into the ballgame, and it was capable of get by way of to the tip on an 18-7 run to take the lead on free throws from Williams. Duke’s Jackson made a game-winning three-pointer as zeroes flashed on the sport clock.(*16*)
