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South Carolina stays perfect after heavyweight clash with LSU in potential Final Four matchup
In a highly anticipated matchup between top-ranked South Carolina and ninth-ranked LSU, the game took a decisive turn with a critical foul that changed the course of the encounter. With just four minutes remaining in regulation and the game tied, Angel Reese committed her fifth foul while attempting to prevent South Carolina’s Raven Johnson from scoring. Johnson subsequently leveled the game with successful free throws, and South Carolina ultimately secured a 76-70 victory. With this win, the Gamecocks maintain their undefeated record, making them the sole remaining undefeated team in both women’s and men’s Division I basketball. The closely contested match solidified the status of South Carolina (18-0, 6-0 SEC) and LSU (18-3, 5-2) as prominent Final Four contenders, showcasing their prowess as recent national champions. The outcome may position South Carolina as the frontrunner for the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament amidst the ongoing unpredictability in the AP poll and various conference standings. The closely contested game highlighted LSU’s cohesion and improvement as the season progresses, especially following an initial loss against Colorado, emphasizing their status as formidable competitors.
“The loss to South Carolina was a clear message that we are here to stay,” remarked LSU head coach Kim Mulkey. The potential for two additional meetings looms if the brackets align in both the SEC tournament, where they are anticipated to be the top two seeds, and the NCAA tournament. Here are the primary insights for the favorites in the SEC.
LSU faced a setback late in the game due to foul trouble for Reese, impacting the team’s prospects for the remainder of the season and its pursuit of another national championship. Reese, along with transfer Aneesah Morrow, plays a vital role in LSU’s frontcourt.
Despite being undersized against South Carolina’s 6-foot-7 center, Kamilla Cardoso, Reese and Morrow managed to contribute significantly on the boards, out-rebounding South Carolina for most of the game. However, things took a turn in the fourth quarter when South Carolina won the rebound battle, largely due to Reese being on the bench after fouling out.
LSU’s strength in offensive rebounding played a crucial role in building an 11-point lead early in the game, matching the largest deficit South Carolina had faced in its undefeated season. The Tigers dominated the boards in the first half, boasting a +9 rebound margin and a 10-3 advantage on the offensive glass.
Reese played a key role in limiting Cardoso’s effectiveness, holding her to 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting and eight rebounds, with the center struggling in the first half. In the absence of Reese, freshman center Aalyah Del Rosario stepped in during crucial moments in the first half after Reese fouled out.
Furthermore, Reese’s absence underscored LSU’s lack of depth, particularly with the injury to sophomore guard Sa’Myah Smith and Kateri Poole’s departure from the roster. In the first half, four out of five starters logged at least 19 of the 20 minutes, while South Carolina’s head coach Dawn Staley utilized nine players.
Flau’jae Johnson (10 points, 4-6 FGs) played the entire 40 minutes, while Van Lith (13 points) and Mikaylah Williams (12 points, six assists) each played 38 minutes. Morrow (16 points, 10 rebounds) played 34 minutes, and Reese, dealing with foul trouble, played 29 minutes. Mulkey even took a timeout in the fourth quarter when Reese experienced cramping, a recurring issue from the previous NCAA tournament.
Considering LSU’s limited exposure to a challenging non-conference schedule and the current competitiveness of the SEC, depth could become a concern in more tightly contested games. This is especially true if any players on the roster find themselves in foul trouble. Given the Tigers’ reliance on a well-balanced attack, losing any key player would be a significant setback.
South Carolina’s proficiency in winning close games is evident as they’ve suffered only one defeat in the last two seasons, which occurred in the Final Four against Iowa. Prior to Thursday’s game, the Gamecocks had been winning by an average margin of 36.8 points, with only two games closer than 16 points against North Carolina and Utah, where they secured victories by seven and nine points, respectively.
Despite featuring new faces in the starting lineup, the team has experience in navigating tight situations, having encountered such scenarios coming off the bench.
According to Staley, the team’s approach is consistent, playing for the full 40 minutes regardless of the score, whether they are trailing by double digits or leading by a substantial margin. The emphasis is on respecting the game, opponents, and finding ways to close the gap.
Mulkey acknowledged this distinction on the ESPN broadcast before the fourth quarter when LSU held a two-possession lead, emphasizing that South Carolina has been in similar situations, providing them with valuable experience that LSU lacks.
Even on a night where South Carolina didn’t display its full intensity until the second half, the team managed to narrow the gap through effective perimeter shooting. Notably, South Carolina currently leads the nation in 3-point percentage at 43.5%, a significant improvement from previous seasons, where they had never achieved better than 34.9%.
Point guard Te-Hina Paopao, a transfer from Oregon, contributed a crucial 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the first quarter, maintaining a manageable six-point deficit. Despite Paopao being a 53.6% 3-point shooter, she was 2-of-7 against LSU.
MiLaysia Fulwiley added another critical 3-pointer in the waning moments of the second quarter, reducing the deficit to five heading into halftime. The freshman’s contribution of eight points and four rebounds in just 10 minutes of play was impactful off the bench. South Carolina’s four-player bench outscored LSU’s two players, tallying 16 points to LSU’s 4.
In the last three minutes of the game, Junior Bree Hall made two crucial 3-pointers, both of which broke ties and played a pivotal role in South Carolina’s victory. Before that, she had successfully made two of her eight field goal attempts.
While facing a formidable challenge against Reese and Morrow, South Carolina requires a more impactful performance from Cardoso. Although Chloe Kitts performed well, particularly in the early stages, Cardoso needs to assert herself early and consistently in significant matchups by making quicker decisions and providing a more substantial defensive presence.
