Former Parkway star Mikaylah Williams scored 24 points to help the LSU Tigers rout Texas Tech 101-47 in the second round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship Saturday afternoon at LSU.
LSU (29-5), the No. 2 seed in the Sacramento 2 Regional, plays No. 3 Duke (25-8), a 69-46 winner over No. 6 Baylor, in the Sweet 16 Friday at 9 p.m. CT in Sacramento, Calf. Texas Tech, the No. 7 seed, finished 26-9.
Williams, a junior guard, and Flau’jae Johnson, who also scored 24, were LSU’s top scorers. Williams was 9-of-15 from the field, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range. She also had seven rebounds and four assists. She played a team-high 32 minutes.
“I think that’s just my teammates finding me, and me being ready to knock down shots,” Williams said in the postgame press conference,” she said during the postgame press conference.
Williams had a double-double in the Tigers’ 116-58 first-round victory against Jacksonville Friday with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
“She’s just tough,” LSU Head Coach Kim Mulkey said. “And I think she’s really worked this year on her defense and her leadership. She can post you up. She can shoot the midrange. She can shoot the 3 ball. She’s can play the 4 for me. She played point guard today when the other two had three fouls.
“Her all-around game, and I said this like two months ago, her all-around game has just elevated to where she is, she’s a pro. She’s put herself at a level now where she’s going to be a high draft pick. But I said that when I signed her. You haven’t seen the best of her yet … I think she’s just so unselfish with her passing.
“She’s quite an athlete. She could probably go over to the softball diamond after the season’s over and Beth Torina would say, ‘Are you serious? Can I have her?’ ”
Willams reached a pair of career milestones in the regular season, reaching 1,500 points and 500 rebounds.
LSU scored the first 10 points of the game. Texas Tech rallied and the Tigers led 19-14 after the first quarter.
LSU began to get points off turnovers in the second quarter. The Tigers opened the quarter with a 12-0 run and led 31-14.
Williams had four points during the run and 10 in the quarter. LSU led 43-35 at the half.
The Tigers continued to roll in the third quarter and led 76-32 going into the fourth.
LSU’s Amiya Joyner had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Katie Koval and Jada Richard scored 10 each.