No. 1 South Carolina travels to face surging No. 13 LSU. How to watch, what to know
The South Carolina women’s basketball team is moving full speed ahead in the Southeastern Conference schedule as it heads to Louisiana to face No. 13 LSU amid a dominant stretch for head coach Kim Mulkey’s Tigers.
The No. 1 Gamecocks (13-1, 1-1 SEC) bounced back their last time on the floor, earning a 80-68 win at home over Mississippi State on Sunday after losing on the road to Missouri 70-69 in overtime for the SEC opener on Dec. 30.
USC head coach Dawn Staley noted the Gamecocks’ offensive improvement from the Missouri game to Mississippi State, moving from a 38.2% clip (29 of 76 shooting) at Mizzou to 50% (28 of 56) against the Bulldogs. South Carolina averaged 37.5% from the field in its five games played throughout December.
“We’re just really concentrating on being good at what we do,” Staley told reporters Wednesday. “Not turning the ball over, not having live ball turnovers, just being more efficient (with) what we’re doing on the offensive end, and then holding serve with our defense.”
The Gamecocks have 12 straight victories over the Tigers and haven’t lost since a trip to Baton Rouge in January 2012.
Here are key storylines to know ahead of Thursday night’s game.
Kim Mulkey’s LSU on a roll
In her first year at LSU after a successful 21-year tenure at Baylor, Kim Mulkey has the Tigers in competitive form early.
LSU (14-1, 2-0 SEC) has knocked off three Top 25 opponents through its first 15 games, including the two most recent wins at then-No. 13 Georgia and against then-No. 23 Texas A&M at home.
The Tigers earned national attention after recording a 69-60 win over then-No. 14 Iowa State on Dec. 2, and they continued to move up the poll, peaking at No. 13 this week. Mulkey has LSU on a 13-game win streak, its best since winning 14 in a row during the 2007-08 season.
LSU veterans Khayla Pointer and Alexis Morris have led the way, each averaging over 30 minutes per game and shooting better than 45% from the field. Pointer averages 17.4 points per game and is 40.7% from 3-point range, while Morris scores 14.5 points per game and scored 30 in the Tigers’ last win over Texas A&M.
“They’re upperclassmen,” Staley said. “They’ve been in this league for a long time. They’ve got great guard play. ... They stay within what they do best, and they’re disciplined to it. When you’re like that more times than not, good things happen.”
Zia Cooke back in rhythm
Zia Cooke, South Carolina’s top scorer from the 2020-21 season, went through a rough shooting spell in December. Cooke averaged 20.9% (14 of 67) from the field and 9.4 points per game, a dropoff from the 12.5 she had been averaging until December and the 15.9 points from a year ago.
But Cooke’s shooting sharpened against Mississippi State, as she scored 18 points on 6 of 16 from the field in South Carolina’s last game.
Staley said there weren’t “magic words” to get Cooke out of her shooting slump, but she reminded Cooke to get out of her own way and not to focus on missed shots.
“I think we’ve seen both sides of Zia, when she’s really hot and when she’s not,” Staley said after the Mississippi State game. “I think she’s got to continue to stay in the rhythm that she’s in. I don’t want her gun-shy. I don’t want her overthinking. I just want her to be confident in the shots that she’s taking, and be deliberate in the shots that she’s taking.”
National player of the year candidate Aliyah Boston leads the Gamecocks in scoring and rebounding, averaging 16.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Boston has tallied a double-double in seven consecutive games, dating back to Nov. 29 against North Carolina A&T.
COVID-19 protocols linger
As COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the country, postponing games and sidelining athletes, both South Carolina and LSU have managed to charge onward.
Staley said on Wednesday South Carolina will have “a few” people out for Thursday’s game at LSU, though she did not offer specifics on who is not expected to play.
“They’ve got one more day to prep for us, and I’m hoping they’re prepping for all 15,” Staley said.
South Carolina played with 11 available in its last game against the Bulldogs, missing key reserve player Laeticia Amihere as well as Olivia Thompson due to health and safety protocols.
LeLe Grissett and Saniya Rivers were both present for the Mississippi State game but didn’t play. Neither made the trip for the Gamecocks’ road loss at Missouri on Dec. 30, and Grissett did not play in South Carolina’s win over Stanford on Dec. 21.
The Gamecocks dealt with a postponement this season when last week’s Ole Miss game was put on hold due to COVID-19 issues with the Rebels’ program. The Ole Miss matchup was replaced with Mississippi State last Sunday.
How to watch South Carolina vs. LSU women’s basketball game
Who: No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks (13-1, 1-1 SEC) vs. No. 13 LSU Tigers (14-1, 2-0 SEC)
When: 8 p.m. Thursday
Where: Maravich Center (13,215) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
