South Carolina WBB’s defense has been dominant. Powerful LSU offense presents next test
South Carolina is nearly finished with a stretch of five consecutive games against Top 25 opponents.
In that time, the No. 2 Gamecocks (18-1, 6-0 SEC) have faced — and completely stifled — some of the top offenses in women’s college basketball.
Texas, averaging 90 points a game, was held to a season-low 50 on Jan. 12 by the Gamecocks.
Oklahoma, a team averaging 87 points and in the top 25 for shooting percentage, shot 36% last Sunday in a 101-60 blowout loss to USC.
Dawn Staley credits her team’s defensive will for helping keep a lid on those high-scoring offenses.
“It’s our willingness to get stops, our willingness to disrupt, our willingness to not give teams what they want to do best,” Staley said.
South Carolina’s scoring defense is No. 15 in the country, holding opponents to 55.1 points and 34.2% shooting per game.
The Gamecocks will face yet another challenge Friday when No. 5 LSU comes to town. Kim Mulkey’s Tigers (20-0, 5-0 SEC) have the No. 3 scoring offense in the country at 90.6 points per game.
“LSU wants to play in transition,” Staley said. “LSU wants to execute a ball screen offense and they want to execute winning the battle of the boards. So if we take care of those three things, I think it puts us in a really good place.”
Here’s how LSU’s offense stacks up:
▪ LSU shoots 48.9% as a team, a mark that ranks No. 6 in the country.
▪ The Tigers are No. 11 nationally with an average of 22.60 free throws attempted per game and No. 7 with 16.75 free throws made each game.
▪ Mulkey runs a relatively fast offense. The Tigers are No. 19 in the country for adjusted tempo, per basketball stats pundit Bart Torvik.
▪ The Tigers are also dominant on the glass. LSU is No. 2 in the country in total rebounds (48.15 per game), No. 3 in offensive rebounds (17.4 per game) and No. 8 with defensive boards (30.8 per game).
▪ The LSU offense has four double-digit scorers, led by Flau’jae Johnson (20 ppg) and Aneesah Morrow (18.7).
Morrow, a 6-foot-1 All-American, is a force in the post for LSU with 18 double-doubles this season. She brings in 14.2 rebounds per game, making her the best rebounder in the country.
Morrow has scored 20 or more points in 12 games this season, including her last four games.
“You really can’t stop her,” Staley said. “It is what she does. I think you have to find ways in which to make it hard for her to score. That’s one. And then you got to gang rebound. You got to gang box out. It’s about will and positioning, and hopefully making her play on the other side of the ball.”
South Carolina guard Tessa Johnson said discipline has been the key to stifling offenses this season. That will continue to be a key against LSU.
“Staying disciplined on defense and focusing on our keys for that specific game,” Johnson said.
