Texas Southern’s women’s basketball team just walked into Division I history on Thursday, but not in a way anyone wants. They were absolutely hammered, losing 131-22 to the No. 9 LSU Tigers. That 109-point margin of victory isn’t just bad, it’s the largest ever in D-I women’s basketball against another D-I opponent, according to ESPN. And for that record-setting humiliation, they picked up a check for $25,000. Is that really enough to cover the damage?
A Blowout For The Ages, And A Non-Story For LSU
Let’s just be real, this game was a complete mismatch from the jump. The LSU Tigers, fresh off a Sweet 16 run last season and considered one of the nation’s best teams, hosted Texas Southern, a program that finished near the bottom of the SWAC standings last year. LSU’s coach, Kim Mulkey, known for her unapologetic style, actually broke a record she set ten years ago at Baylor, where her team beat Winthrop by 108 points. This one was even worse.
The game felt less like a competition and more like LSU’s de facto homecoming. WNBA superstar and LSU alumna Angel Reese was there, draped in Chanel, while Texas Southern served as “mere background fodder.” The second quarter was particularly brutal, with LSU outscoring Texas Southern 40-0. LSU had seven players score ten or more points, while Texas Southern’s top scorer, Jayla Cornelius, managed just six points total. The absolute gut punch? After the game, Mulkey and Reese joined LSU’s top stars for the press conference, and not one reporter even mentioned the record-setting score. It was like Texas Southern wasn’t even there. Can you imagine the feeling?
The $25,000 Question: Was It Worth It?
So, what did Texas Southern get out of this deal? Chron snagged the game contract from LSU, confirming the Tigers received $25,000 for the contest. This is what’s known as a “money game,” where smaller programs get a payout to face a powerhouse. An On3 report by Andy Kitty, which dug into 384 such “money games” from the 2022-23 regular season, found that the schools getting these guarantee payments had a dismal 16-368 record, a measly 4.1 percent winning percentage.
LSU’s not wrong for being good, and Texas Southern, led by sixth-year head coach Vernette Skeete, isn’t wrong for trying to find their way. But as they say in boxing, weight classes exist for a reason. You wouldn’t put a lightweight in the ring with a heavyweight. This game was basically a scrimmage for one team and a historical nightmare for the other.
The Real Cost Goes Way Beyond The Scoreboard
The score alone is tough enough, but what about the psychological impact on these student-athletes, who are likely not pulling in big NIL deals like the stars they faced? How does a program’s brand and image take a hit when they make headlines for the most lopsided loss in D-I women’s basketball history? Recruiting future players to Texas Southern just got that much harder after Thursday’s absolute streamrolling by LSU. You know it did.
Texas Southern athletic director Ashley Robinson didn’t respond to requests for comment, which honestly, is probably for the best right now. This record-breaking loss is a wake-up call for every smaller program out there. It’s a brutal question: does that $25,000 check really cover the mental hit, the blow to your brand, and the recruiting struggles that come with a loss this lopsided? Every single school out there trying to find their way has to look at this and wonder if a “money game” is truly worth the price.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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