LSU HC Kim Mulkey sends heartfelt message to Southern women's basketball after thrilling First Four win

The No. 16-seed Southern Jaguars beat the No. 16-seed UC San Diego Tritons 68-56 in the First Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Wednesday evening. The Jaguars earned an automatic bid to March Madness after winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament last week.

After their big win, outspoken LSU Tigers coach Kim Mulkey sent a heartfelt message to the cross-Baton Rouge team on X.

"Congratulations to @CarlosFunchess and @JaguarsWBB on their program’s first ever NCAA Tournament victory! You all are making Baton Rouge and the state of Louisiana proud!!" Mulkey tweeted.

During his postgame news conference, Southern coach Carlos Funchess praised his team for its performance against the San Diego Tritons.

“I thought our ladies came out and set the tone early, knocking down shots,” Funchess said. “We had a 20-point lead. I knew they were going to make a run at some point. I didn’t know when, especially with how they shoot the basketball, but we did a great job of knocking down free throws and keeping our composure down the stretch.”

Southern Jaguars make history with March Madness win

The Southern Jaguars have won 18 of their last 20 games to reach the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The win against the UC San Diego Tritons was historic for the program since it was the Jaguars' first in seven attempts at the Big Dance and the first by a SWAC women's team.

The win boosted the Jaguars into rare company joining the Howard Bison (2022) as one of the only other HBCUs to win in a First Four game at the Big Dance. Only four HBCU women's teams have won games in the NCAA Tournament.

During her postgame news conference, Jaguars star Aniya Gourdine who tallied 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the game, talked about the importance of the game in how HBCUs are regarded around the country.

“This win means a lot,” Gourdine said. “The most important thing is shining light on HBCUs. Just showing everybody that we belong here and can compete with the best.

"Soniyah (Reed) is a great player, and it makes my job easier because I’m a player who can get into the lane. I know teams are not leaving her, but when they leave her, I’m looking for her every time, and I know it’s going through the net.”

The Southern Jaguars will play the No. 1-seeded UCLA Bruins in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament seeking to make history as the first HBCU team to knock off a 1-seed.