JOURNAL SPORTS

GREENVILLE, S.C. – After a late-season roll from Bossier City Parkway product Mikaylah Williams that has helped LSU finish the regular season with 26 wins, the sixth-ranked Tigers take on seventh-ranked Oklahoma in quarterfinal action at the 2026 SEC Tournament this afternoon inside the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

The Tigers and Sooners will meet at 1:30 p.m. for quarterfinal action on ESPN. The teams will face off for the second time this season. LSU won the earlier contest, 91-72, in Norman. Oklahoma eliminated Florida Thursday afternoon.

LSU is the No. 4 seed this season and holds a Top 4 seed for the fifth straight time under Kim Mulkey. With Mulkey at the helm, LSU is 4-4 at the SEC Tournament. In her 26 seasons as a Division I head coach, Mulkey has won 11 conference tournaments (all at Baylor).

Williams, a versatile junior listed as a guard, and senior forward Flau’jae Johnson have earned spots on the All-SEC First Team, while ZaKiyah Johnson was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team. The first and second teams consist of 10 players and the freshman team recognizes five players. Williams has been named in consecutive seasons after being the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2023-24.

Williams has averaged 13.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists during the regular season. Most recently, Williams tied her season high 26 points and had a career high 15 rebounds with four assists and one steal against Mississippi State. 

The 26-point performance marked her second straight game with 20-plus points and her fifth this season, and was her third consecutive double-double.

Through 30 games, LSU has averaged 94.5 points per game, which leads the nation. That mark would break the SEC record in scoring average set by Georgia in 1986 (32 games; 2,855 points, 89.2 average). LSU leads the country in 3 statistical categories: bench points per game (39.1), rebound margin (18.0), and scoring offense (94.5).