For the second time this season, LSU fell short by a few points to the top team in the country South Carolina.
After losing at home 76-70 to Dawn Staley’s team during the regular season, Kim Mulkey’s Tigers fell 79-72 to the Gamecocks on Sunday in the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship game.
The game on Sunday was also temporarily halted late in the game to an altercation between the two teams inside the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, North Carolina.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
LSU seized control as Aneesah Morrow put the Tigers on the board first with a layup. South Carolina responded with a layup by Kamilla Cardoso and then a jumper by Bree Hall.
The Tigers answered with a jumper in the paint by Angel Reese, a layup by Morrow, and a three-pointer by Hailey Van Lith. The Gamecocks immediately hit a three by Te-Hina Paopao but the Tigers pushed the lead back up to six with layups by Reese and Morrow.
With 4:46 left in the first, LSU led South Carolina 13-7. The Gamecocks would storm back as they closed out the first quarter on an 11-2 run and led 18-15 at the end of the quarter.
After pushing its lead to six points twice in the second, South Carolina led by seven points after Tessa Johnson made a pair of free throws with 4:20 left in the second.
A pair of free throws by Morrow made it a three-point deficit with 1:35 left before halftime. South Carolina’s Milaysia Fulwiley hit a three off of a turnover but LSU’s Van Lith hit a jumper right before half. At the break, the Tigers trailed 36-32.
South Carolina started off the third quarter with a 10-1 run. LSU fought back to cut the lead down to six points twice but each time the Gamecocks responded. With 2:55 left in the third, South Carolina held a 13-point lead.
LSU stormed back as Van Lith hit a jumper, Morrow made a pair of free throws, Flau’jae Johnson drained a three-pointer, and then Morrow had a layup fall through the bucket. With 1:13 left in the third, the Tigers had trimmed the lead down to four.
South Carolina closed out the quarter with a jumper by Raven Johnson and led 59-53 heading to the fourth. The Gamecocks started the fourth strong with a 6-2 run to push its lead back up to 10.
LSU refused to go away. After Van Lith hit a three-pointer, the Tigers had the cut lead down to five with 6:01 left in the fourth. Reese then made a layup and two Johnson free throws made it a one-point deficit with 4:36 left.
South Carolina took the momentum right back with a pull-up jumper by Raven Johnson, a layup, and then a jumper by Hall. With 2:19 left in the game, the Gamecocks held a seven-point lead.
The game was then halted due to an altercation between LSU’s Johnson and South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardosa, which saw both benches clear and a spectator from the stands jump on the court. After the dust settled, Johnson was called for an intentional foul, Cardosa was called for a fighting foul and ejected, and the bench players from both teams were ejected.
Van Lith hit a few free throws and Reese then made a layup to cut the lead down to five points with a 1:57 to go but that was as close as the Tigers would get to pulling off the comeback.
BIG NUMBER: 21
With Sunday’s loss to South Carolina, the LSU women’s basketball team has now gone 21 years without winning a conference tournament championship. The last time the Tigers won a conference tournament title was the 2002-03 under the late coach Sue Gunter.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME: ANEESAH MORROW & ANGEL REESE
With LSU dealing with being shorthanded and players pushing through pain, Morrow proved to be a consistent force for the Tigers as she recorded a double-double with a team-high 19 points and 10 rebounds. Reese also notched a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
UP NEXT: LSU (28-5) will now prepare for the NCAA Women’s Tournament. The selections will be unveiled on Sunday, March 17.