The highly anticipated showdown between No. 2 South Carolina and No. 5 LSU lived up to its billing Friday night, as the Gamecocks emerged with a hard-fought 66-56 victory to hand the previously unbeaten Tigers their first loss of the season. In front of a raucous home crowd, South Carolina leaned on a balanced scoring attack and suffocating defense to secure the statement win.
Edwards, Feagin Lead the Way
Joyce Edwards paced South Carolina with 14 points, showcasing her potent inside-out game. The versatile forward consistently found ways to score against LSU’s lengthy defense. Sania Feagin added 12 points and hauled in 7 rebounds, providing a strong presence in the paint.
Defensive Dominance
South Carolina’s calling card all season has been their stifling defense, and it was on full display against LSU. The Gamecocks held the Tigers to just 29.9% shooting, marking the first time an opponent has shot below 30% against LSU in Kim Mulkey’s tenure.
“Our defense was locked in from start to finish,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. “We made things difficult for them all night and really dominated on that end of the floor.”
Winning Streak Continues
With the victory, South Carolina extended some impressive streaks:
- 17 straight wins over LSU
- 69 consecutive home wins (tied for longest in SEC history)
- 54 SEC regular season wins in a row
The Gamecocks continue to assert their dominance both in conference play and on the national stage. As March Madness approaches, South Carolina is undoubtedly positioning themselves as a championship favorite.
Mulkey vs. Staley Rivalry Grows
While LSU has now won a national title in all three of Kim Mulkey’s seasons at the helm, they have yet to solve the riddle of beating Dawn Staley’s South Carolina squad. The Gamecocks are now 5-0 against Mulkey’s Tigers, adding another layer to the budding rivalry between two of college basketball’s premier coaches.
“We’ll learn from this and get better,” Mulkey said after the game. “Credit to South Carolina, they played a heck of a game and really took us out of our rhythm offensively.”
The Road Ahead
Both teams have their sights set on lofty goals this postseason. LSU will look to regroup as they host Texas A&M on Sunday, while South Carolina faces a quick turnaround with a Monday trip to Tennessee on deck.
As the season hits the home stretch, this top-5 clash provided a thrilling glimpse of the excitement that awaits in the women’s NCAA tournament. With South Carolina and LSU leading the charge, fans are in for a wild ride in the weeks to come.
