Perfect! South Carolina blows out LSU for piece of SEC history

Their day, their rules.

Their record.

South Carolina’s five-woman senior class ended its final regular season with a 75-39 pasting of LSU on Sunday, completing a 16-0 SEC season for only the second time in league history.

Honored before the game, Tiffany Mitchell, Asia Dozier, Khadijah Sessions, Sarah Imovbioh and Tina Roy made sure emotion was kept there as they had business to take care of afterward.

A 16-0 mark had eluded them by a game – the last game – a year ago. USC already won the regular-season championship and a top tournament seed, but wanted more.

When Sunday was over, there was no party for the accomplishments, just a recognition of what the senior class has done – and what it still hopes to do.

“We’re not done yet,” coach Dawn Staley said.

The Gamecocks certainly played like it, turning a 14-8 first-quarter lead into a 22-8 run to put the Tigers to bed. LSU (9-20, 3-13) had seven more turnovers than field goals as the Gamecocks did nearly everything they wanted, led by the five women of the day.

All played a part. Mitchell led the team with 24 points, while Roy stroked three 3-pointers. Sessions had three points and three steals, while Imovbioh had five rebounds and a steal. Dozier finished with two assists, two rebounds and a steal.

“I think it’s something our seniors wanted to do since we were that close,” Staley said. “I’m glad it was them, because they’ve seen some of the good, the bad and the ugly of our program.”

With the game not in doubt, Staley was able to pull each senior one at a time, each getting a deserved ovation. The class has won 116 games during their tenure and Colonial Life Arena, which has swelled from audible phone conversations during games to sellouts, roared its appreciation.

USC joined 2010-11 Tennessee as the only SEC team to go 16-0, and improved its SEC-best three-year mark in league games to 45-3. Staley ended her spectacular streak of improving her SEC win total in every one of her eight years at the helm (improving on 16-0 would require the league office to add some games) and the Gamecocks prepared for the part of their season that was always going to define them.

USC begins the SEC tournament at noon Friday against Missouri or Auburn. As Staley told the crowd after the game, there’s still work to do.

“Sometimes you have to dangle a carrot in front of them,” Staley said. “The pressure’s on us to repeat as conference tournament champions, and that’s what we want to do.”

“We haven’t as a team really talked about seeding and Lexington and all that,” Mitchell said. “Our goal is to win in Jacksonville.”

TURNING POINT

Amazing what can happen when USC tries to find its SEC Player of the Year candidate. After LSU cut the second-quarter lead to 14-11 and USC was missing 3s or collecting fouls, Cuevas found A’ja Wilson inside past a lunging tried deflection from LSU. Up and in.

Next possession, same result, except it was Roy who found Wilson, with an and-1 foul.

3 POINTS

Star of the game: While Wilson took over the scoring when USC couldn’t shake the Tigers early, it was Mitchell who kept pouring it on as the game progressed. It was fitting that one of the most decorated players in program history again led the Gamecocks.

Play of the game: Mitchell had six points on two straight possessions, each after Wilson had given USC a healthy lead. Whether it was the twist inside to score with the foul, or another dagger of a 3, she was not going to let her day end on a sour note.

Stat of the game: USC hit 10 3-pointers. For some reason, that was the

FROM THE BASELINE

Hot ticket: I remember covering games where it was just me and Chris Wellbaum on press row. Absolutely incredible watching what Staley has built.

Something to play for: You’ll read more about it this week, but with USC assured of a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament (16-0 teams in this league couldn’t miss that), some might say they could take it easy at the SEC tournament.

Won’t happen. The Gamecocks are trying to hold off Notre Dame for the No. 1 seed in Lexington. Depending on the Irish to lose the ACC tournament is not wise, so USC will have to try to win three games in three days and take the SEC title home one more time.

UP NEXT

Who: South Carolina vs. Auburn/Missouri (SEC tournament quarterfinal)

When: Noon Friday

Where: Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Fla.

TV: SEC Network

LSU (9-20)

Norton 0-3 6-6 6, Bethel 0-4 1-2 1, Pedersen 2-7 0-0 4, Hill 6-14 2-2 16, Hyder 4-11 2-2 10, Deemer 0-0 0-0 0, Rhodes 0-3 0-0 0, An. Jones 0-2 0-0 0, Fareo 1-1 0-0 2, Humbles 0-0 0-2 0. Totals 13-45 11-14 39.

SOUTH CAROLINA (28-1)

Sessions 1-3 0-0 3, Roy 3-6 0-0 9, Imovbioh 0-0 1-2 1, Mitchell 7-12 6-7 24, Dozier 0-3 0-2 0, Cuevas 1-2 0-0 3, Cliney 2-2 2-2 7, Wilson 5-7 4-4 14, White 1-2 2-2 4, Coates 2-6 6-7 10, Farmer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-43 21-26 75.

3-Point Goals_LSU 2-3 (Hill 2-2, Hyder 0-1), South Carolina 10-21 (Mitchell 4-8, Roy 3-6, Sessions 1-1, Cliney 1-1, Cuevas 1-2, Dozier 0-3). Fouled Out_None. Rebounds_LSU 29 (Bethel, Rhodes 5), South Carolina 27 (Wilson 7). Assists_LSU 8 (Bethel, Norton, Pedersen 2), South Carolina 15 (Mitchell 5). Total Fouls_LSU 21, South Carolina 16.

This story was originally published February 28, 2016 at 3:52 PM with the headline "Perfect! South Carolina blows out LSU for piece of SEC history."