No. 3 South Carolina secured a hard-fought 79-72 victory over No. 6 LSU on Saturday night, marking head coach Dawn Staley's 500th win with the Gamecocks. The win extends South Carolina's remarkable winning streak against LSU to 18 games, dating back 14 years.
LSU, led by Kim Mulkey, had multiple chances to take the lead in the second half, pulling within a single point six times. A pivotal moment came with less than a minute left when LSU's Flau'jae Johnson missed two crucial free throws that could have put the Tigers ahead. South Carolina capitalized, with Madina Okot hitting a key basket to help seal the win.
Tessa Johnson led the Gamecocks with 21 points, including four three-pointers. Raven Johnson added a career-high 19 points and six assists, while Okot posted a double-double with 12 points and 17 rebounds. Despite a strong fourth-quarter push from Flau'jae Johnson, LSU struggled from the free-throw line (14-of-23) and from three-point range (2-of-12), ultimately falling short.