The No. 5 ranked LSU women’s basketball team got the 2025-26 campaign off on the right foot as the Tigers (1-0) dominated Houston Baptist 108-55 Tuesday night in the PMAC.
Tuesday’s season opener was pretty
much exactly what you would expect from a Final Four hopeful going up against a clearly outmatched Southland Conference opponent. LSU led 26-13 after the first quarter, was up 53-27 at the break, and ended up leading by as many as 53 points before the night was over.
Senior guard Flau’Jae Johnson did what she’s done for the better part of the past four years: a little bit of everything. Johnson scored 12 points, grabbed six rebounds, was credited with four steals, and handed out three assists; Mikaylah Williams had 14 points and knocked down both of her three-pointers.
The story of the night, however, came in the form of Malaysia Fulwiley, the transfer from South Carolina. Fulwiley made a name for herself as a game-changing presence off the bench in Columbia, and tonight that was the case in her LSU debut. Fulwiley led LSU with 21 points and was a menace on the defensive end with seven steals.
Speaking of LSU debuts, tonight we got a glimpse of the future of the program: true freshman ZaKiyah Johnson got the start, while fellow freshmen Grace Knox, Bella Hines, and Divine Bourrage all played at least 10 minutes off the bench. All four were top-30 recruits in the 2025 recruiting class led by Knox (7th), Bourrage (10th), Johnson (11th), and Hines (30th).
Johnson made the biggest impact of the four with 11 points and 11 rebounds in her debut as a Tiger. LSU lost one of the best rebounders in NCAA history in Aneesah Morrow, but if Johnson can rebound like she did tonight she’ll likely stick in the starting lineup. Knox scored 10 points and also defended well, picking up three steals and two blocks; Hines made both shots she attempted for five total points and also handed out two assists; Bourrage had the worst night of the freshman, picking up four fouls in 10 minutes.
Was LSU ever challenged by Houston Baptist? No, and they likely won’t be seriously challenged by anyone between now and December 4th’s road game against Duke; but the Tigers took care of business Tuesday night, that’s all anyone could ask for.
Up next LSU will host Southeastern Thursday night at 7:00 P.M. That game can be streamed via SEC Network+.
