‘Everybody eats’ on the LSU women’s team, which is gorging right now

LSU Women's Basketball Team

Scoring 100-plus isn’t a feat but a standard for the Tigers, who have hit the mark in each of their six games and are averaging 111.8 points per outing.

LSU sophomore Kate Koval said it calmly, without a bit of braggadocio. The Tigers had just blown past the 100-point mark, again and with ease, and the Notre Dame transfer summed up what could be the team motto during this early part of the women’s basketball season.

“Everybody eats on this team,” Koval said.

That’s putting it mildly. Fifth-ranked LSU (6-0) set an SEC record last week with six consecutive games scoring 100-plus points and now leads the nation at 111.8 points per game. That’s nine points ahead of Texas, second on the list.

Six Tigers are averaging in double figures. Guard MiLaysia Fulwiley (17.7) leads the team in just 18.8 minutes per game — off the bench.

Coach Kim Mulkey said she can’t remember ever having this kind of balance throughout her 26-season career.

“Did I see this coming? No,” Mulkey said. “How many times have you seen great, talented teams on paper but they have trouble sharing the ball or all that stuff? These kids just work. … They do catch onto things quicker than you might imagine.”

What might be most impressive is that a roster with eight newcomers has come together so quickly. The Tigers haven’t exactly faced the stiffest competition — they have yet to play a Power Four opponent — but their average scoring margin of 56.8 points is undeniable.

Before their Nov. 12 matchup, two players on Charlotte’s team posted a video to social media of them dancing and proclaiming the Tigers would “finally” face some competition. The Tigers won, 117-59, and picked up three technical fouls for taunting the Charlotte bench. Freshman guard Bella Hines got one after mimicking a bow and arrow.

“They took it real personal with all the stuff that was on social media, and I’ll leave it at that,” Mulkey said. “And so they were fired up. With that many technicals, I usually am going to lose it or I’m going to sit you. But it was bulletin-board material, and they were fired up.”

The Tigers’ biggest nonconference test comes Dec. 12 when they visit Duke in the ACC/SEC challenge.

Iowa State center Audi Crooks joined Blake Griffin (Oklahoma, 2008-09) as the only men’s or women’s Division I, NBA or WNBA player to average at least 25 points with a field goal percentage of at least 75 percent through five games of a season, according to OptaSTATS. Through seven games, Crooks is averaging 25.9 points (No. 4 in the nation) while shooting 75.8 percent. … Lauren Betts (UCLA) and JuJu Watkins (Southern California) were the lone college players named to the U.S. women’s national team training camp roster. Watkins is out for the season with a torn ACL. … Connecticut guard Azzi Fudd was on a tear last week with 31 points against No. 6 Michigan and 24 points against Utah. She was a combined 18 for 31 from the field (58.1 percent) and 11 for 16 from three-point range (68.8 percent), including 4 for 4 against the Utes.