South Carolina secured an 83-77 victory over LSU in the SEC Tournament semifinal. The Gamecocks, the tournament’s top seed, were led by Raven Johnson, who scored 22 points. The match took place inside Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Saturday.
Gamecocks Advance to SEC Tournament Championship
With this win, South Carolina’s season record improves to 31-2. They will now advance to the SEC Tournament championship game. LSU’s overall record drops to 27-5 following the defeat.
LSU will now await the NCAA Tournament decision on March 15. The Selection Sunday show will air on ESPN at 7 p.m. CT. LSU was projected as No. 7 overall (No. 2 seed) in the last projection.
Close First Half Sets the Stage
The first quarter saw both teams trading blows, leading to a 12-12 tie at the first media timeout. South Carolina edged ahead to lead 21-17 by the quarter’s end. Five LSU players contributed to the scoring, with Flau’jae Johnson leading the charge with six points. For USC, Ta’Niya Latson scored 10 and Raven added 7.
In the second quarter, LSU outscored the Gamecocks 12-5. This gave the Tigers a three-point lead with just over four minutes remaining in the half. South Carolina responded, taking a 34-31 lead with under two minutes to go. LSU finished the first half with a 9-2 run, capped off by Amiya Joyner’s layup at the buzzer.
MiLaysia Fulwiley led LSU in scoring in the first half with 15 points and one steal. LSU also outrebounded the Gamecocks by nine in the first 20 minutes.
South Carolina Pulls Away in Second Half
South Carolina began the second half strongly. They went on a 10-2 run to take a four-point lead with five minutes left in the third quarter. The Tigers briefly regained the lead at 42-41. However, the Gamecocks responded by outscoring LSU 18-12 in the final five minutes of the quarter, taking a 59-54 lead into the fourth.
In the fourth quarter, MiLaysia Fulwiley levelled the score at 63 with a three-pointer. USC then took the lead and held on to win 83-77.
Key Stats from the Game
- Raven Johnson led South Carolina with 22 points.
- MiLaysia Fulwiley scored a game-high 24 points for LSU.
- Mikaylah Williams scored 14 for LSU, while Jada Richard added 17.
LSU now awaits the NCAA Tournament decision on March 15.