How to watch, what to know when undefeated South Carolina and LSU face off
Prior to the Super Bowl, a big sports showdown with championship implications is set to take place Sunday in Columbia.
No. 1 South Carolina will take on No. 3 LSU as the only two undefeated teams left in women’s college basketball and both 11-0 in conference play. The Gamecocks have won 30 straight games dating back to last year, and the Tigers have won 23 in a row. Sunday’s winner will take over first place in the SEC standings.
LSU has the advantage of rest, with USC being its only game this week. South Carolina defeated Auburn 83-48 on Thursday.
The Tigers lead the all-time series 22-17. LSU hasn’t defeated South Carolina in Columbia since 2010.
SOUTH CAROLINA VS. LSU GAME INFO
- Who: LSU Tigers (23-0, 11-0 SEC) vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (24-0, 11-0 SEC)
- Where: Colonial Life Arena (18,000) in Columbia, S.C.
- When: 2 p.m. Sunday
- TV: ESPN
- Stream: via ESPN app/ESPN.com
CHAMPIONS DEFENDING THEIR CROWN
South Carolina has won two of the last three SEC regular-season titles, and six of the last nine dating back to 2014. USC’s won 10 or more conference games every year since 2012.
Aliyah Boston has played like the reigning National Player of the Year throughout conference play. Her activity on both ends of the court is a big reason the Gamecocks are undefeated, and the attention she receives from defenses opens up space for others.
Players like Brea Beal and Kierra Fletcher in USC’s starting lineup provide strong perimeter defense, and Zia Cooke’s improvement on that side of the ball comes along with her team-leading 14.8 points per game.
Off the bench, the 6-foot-7 Kamilla Cardoso presents a challenge for opponents when she gets in a rhythm. Redshirt-freshman guard Raven Johnson has made strides as a floor general off the bench.
The Tigers finished second in the conference last season and have rolled through SEC opponents this year.
Star forward Angel Reese transferred in from Maryland and has had one of the best seasons in college basketball. Freshman guard Flau’jae Johnson has been a strong scoring threat for the Tigers, as has senior guard Alexis Morris.
LSU is shooting 36% from 3-point range, something the Gamecocks will have to guard against.
BATTLE OF THE BIGS
The SEC Player of the Year front-runners will face off Sunday in the second time the two have met.
Reese is averaging 23.5 points and 15.8 rebounds per game — and both marks lead the conference. Boston is averaging 13.3 points and 10 rebounds with 16 double-doubles on the season, and is also blocking two shots per game.
Reese played at Maryland last season, when the Terrapins lost to South Carolina in Columbia. She recorded 20 points and 10 rebounds in a 66-59 loss. Boston had 16 points, 16 rebounds and seven blocks in that game.
The Gamecocks have the ability to use different defenders on Reese, and they typically don’t resort to double teams. Boston’s seen trap defenses all season but has the benefit of sharing the floor with Cardoso to take some of the load off at times.
Reese and Boston are both athletic bigs who can push the ball down the floor, though Reese does that more often. Both players are skilled in the post and have a knack for bringing in offensive rebounds.
Sunday’s post battle should play a big role in the outcome of the game.
QUICK NOTES
LSU only allows 58.1 points per game in conference play, and the Gamecocks surrender just 50.6.
South Carolina is 4-0 against ranked teams this year. The Tigers are 1-0.
USC leads the country with 9.5 blocked shots per game.
This will be South Carolina’s first home game against a top-3 opponent, and second home game against a ranked opponent.
Dawn Staley and Kim Mulkey are 2-2 against each other all-time, with Mulkey winning both games as Baylor’s head coach.
South Carolina hasn’t lost a home game since Dec. 3, 2020.
The last time USC was in an undefeated matchup this late into a season was in 2016, when it faced UConn. Both teams were 22-0, and the Huskies won that game.
SEC WBB conference standings/leaders
Team /// Conf. record /// Overall
- South Carolina 11-0, 24-0
- LSU 11-0, 23-0
- Tennessee 9-2, 17-9
- Ole Miss 8-3, 19-5
- Alabama 7-4, 18-6
GAMECOCKS AND TIGERS PLAYERS TO WATCH
Aliyah Boston, F, South Carolina: Boston is USC’s leading rebounder and shot-blocker, and second-leading scorer. She raises her level of play against ranked teams, averaging 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds in four such games. Look for the Gamecocks to lean on Boston more often, and for her to see more touches on offense.
Zia Cooke, G, South Carolina: Cooke got back on track in Thursday’s game against Auburn scoring 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting. She is South Carolina’s leading scorer, but finds herself in shooting slumps at times. When in rhythm, Cooke’s production provides another dimension to the South Carolina offense.
Angel Reese, F, LSU: Reese is in the conversation for National Player of the Year. Her numbers and skillset have LSU as one of the last undefeated teams, and her scoring ability makes the Tigers one of the highest-scoring offenses in the nation. Reese has seen this USC defense up close before, so it will be intriguing to track how she handles it this time around.
Alexis Morris, G, LSU: Morris is a college basketball veteran playing at her fourth college. She leads the team with 4.5 assists per game, and is shooting a career-high 38.9% from 3-point range. She poured in a season-high 31 points against Tennessee on Jan. 30.
This story was originally published February 11, 2023 at 9:00 AM.
