South Carolina Gamecocks Escape the Hungry LSU Tigers
The second-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks beat the fifth-ranked LSU Tigers 66-56 in the SEC Conference showdown between these two top women’s NCAA basketball teams. South Carolina is currently ranked first in the SEC Conference, while LSU trails at second. Before the game, the Tigers were undefeated with a 20-0 record, and the Gamecocks carried a near-perfect season, going 18-1, with a singular loss to UCLA. Despite only winning by 10 points, the Gamecocks seemingly dominated the Tigers throughout most of the game, dealing them their first loss of the season.
Led by Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams, LSU started the game off strong but trailed by three points by the end of the first half. Both teams played suffocating defense against each other, but less thrilling offense. LSU had eight turnovers at the half and South Carolina had six, with South Carolina scoring 12 points off of LSU’s turnovers. MiLaysia Fulwiley came off the bench, acting as a nice sparkplug for the Gamecocks with her drives, flashy layups, and active defense. LSU only had eight points in the third quarter, their lowest-scoring quarter of the season.
LSU came out sloppy in the second half, allowing the Gamecocks to go on an 8-0 run in the third quarter. Sania Feagin, Joyce Edwards, and Tessa Johnson led the momentum for South Carolina. Although LSU’s Johnson cooled off to start the second half, Aneesah Morrow helped the Tigers stay in the game as she continued grabbing rebounds and began to see her shots fall. However, the Gamecocks remained dominant, and LSU saw foul trouble, giving South Carolina a bonus by the end of the third quarter. The fourth quarter was no better for the Tigers, and they perpetually struggled against South Carolina’s suffocating defense. In fact, the Gamecocks secured a season-high of 11 blocks by the end of the game and kept the Tigers at a season-low of 56 points. Flau’jae Johnson remained scoreless throughout the entire second half.
Overall, both teams played effective defense, with LSU struggling more offensively, scoring only 29.9 percent from the field. Aneesah Morrow led the Tigers in scoring with 15 points, posting a double-double. Meanwhile, Joyce Edwards led the Gamecocks with 14 points. Both teams also had atrocious three-point shooting, scoring only 21.4 percent and 15.4 percent from the three-point line for the Tigers and Gamecocks, respectively.
