LSU Won by 109 Points: Five Lessons for Bar Exam Preparation

Last night, the LSU women's basketball team made history.

The Tigers defeated Texas Southern 131–22, setting a Division I women's basketball record for the largest margin of victory: 109 points.

Let that sink in. LSU didn't just win. The Tigers scored nearly six times as many points as their opponent. At one point, LSU went on a 50–0 scoring run. Texas Southern went an entire quarter without scoring.

Now, you might be wondering what a 109-point basketball blowout has to do with preparing for the bar exam.

Quite a bit, actually.

Beyond the record-breaking score, this game offers some important lessons about preparation, performance, confidence, and resilience. Here are five lessons bar exam students can take away from LSU's historic victory.

Lesson 1: Not All Practice Is Created Equal

LSU's 109-point victory was certainly impressive. But does defeating an overmatched opponent by 109 points necessarily mean the Tigers are prepared to beat the best teams in the country?

Not necessarily. There's a difference between dominating an opponent and being challenged by one. Playing against tougher competition exposes weaknesses, forces adjustments, and provides opportunities for growth that easier competition might not.

The same is true for bar preparation. Answering 25 relatively easy multiple-choice questions and getting 24 correct might feel great. But answering 25 challenging questions and getting only 17 correct might actually be more valuable, especially if you carefully review the eight questions you missed. The purpose of practice isn't simply to get questions right. It's to get better at answering questions.

Lesson 2: The Scoreboard Doesn't Tell the Whole Story

Imagine looking at LSU's final score without knowing anything about its opponent. You might conclude that LSU is virtually unstoppable. But a single score, without context, tells us relatively little about how the Tigers will perform against stronger competition.

Bar students often make the same mistake when evaluating their practice scores. A student scoring 85% on a familiar subject might assume they're better prepared than a student scoring 70% on mixed-subject questions. But those percentages aren't necessarily comparable. The difficulty of the questions, the subjects tested, and whether students completed them under timed conditions all matter.

Don't just ask, "What percentage did I get correct?" Ask, "What does this performance tell me about my readiness?" A practice score is useful only if you understand what it measures—and what it doesn't.

## Lesson 3: You Don't Get Extra Credit for Winning by 109 Points

LSU's 109-point victory counts as one win. Had the Tigers won by a single point, the result in the win column would have been exactly the same.

The bar exam works somewhat similarly. It's a minimum-competency examination. You don't need a perfect score. You need a passing score. And while every additional point can contribute to that passing score, there's no special reward for producing a flawless essay or answering every multiple-choice question correctly.

This matters particularly when managing your time. Spending an additional ten minutes perfecting an essay answer might earn you an additional point, but those same ten minutes might be more valuable elsewhere. Your goal isn't to demonstrate everything you know about one issue. It's to accumulate enough points across the entire examination to pass.

Lesson 4: What Happens When You Can't Score?

While LSU was making history, Texas Southern was experiencing the opposite. The Tigers endured a 50–0 scoring run and went an entire quarter without putting a point on the scoreboard.

Imagine the frustration. Every missed shot, turnover, and unsuccessful possession potentially makes the next one feel even more difficult. But basketball doesn't stop because a team is struggling. The clock keeps running, and the next possession still matters.

The same is true on the bar exam. You might encounter five consecutive multiple-choice questions that leave you uncertain. You might struggle with an essay issue or discover that your performance test is taking longer than expected. The worst thing you can do is allow one difficult question—or even an entire difficult section—to dictate how you approach the rest of the examination. You cannot recover points from questions you've already completed, but you can still earn points on the questions ahead.

Lesson 5: Don't Compare Your Scoreboard to Someone Else's

LSU and Texas Southern were playing the same game, under the same rules, on the same court. Yet the final score reflected two very different performances.

Bar students frequently compare their own performances with those of their classmates. Someone announces that they've completed 1,500 practice questions. Another reports scoring 85% on a simulated exam. Suddenly, your 900 completed questions or 68% practice score feels inadequate.

But those comparisons often lack context. Were the questions equally difficult? Were they completed under similar conditions? How much time was spent reviewing mistakes? And perhaps most importantly, how much has each student improved? Your most meaningful comparison isn't necessarily with the student sitting next to you. It's with the student you were a week or a month ago. Focus on your progress, identify your weaknesses, and continue improving.

Final Buzzer

LSU's 131–22 victory will be remembered for its historic margin. But for bar exam students, the most valuable lessons aren't necessarily found in the final score.

Challenge yourself with meaningful practice. Understand what your scores actually measure. Focus on earning points rather than chasing perfection. Recover from setbacks. And measure your progress without getting distracted by everyone else's performance.

After all, the goal of bar preparation isn't to win every practice session by 109 points. It's to be ready when the real game begins.