LSU falls to South Carolina in SEC Championship, 79-72

GREENVILLE, S.C.  — No. 8 LSU was unable to mount a comeback over No. 1 South Carolina in the SEC Tournament Championship on Sunday afternoon in Bon Secours Wellness Arena, 79-72. The win marked the Gamecocks 8th SEC Championship in the last 10 years.

Aneesah Morrow led the Tigers with 19 points and 10 rebounds for her 19th double-double of the season. Angel Reese earned her 12th straight double-double with xx points and xx rebounds. Her performance on Sunday marks her 23rd double-double of the season. 

Hailey Van Lith followed with 14 points on 5-11 from the field and 2 triples. Falu’jae Johnson finished with 13 points 4-10 from the field with 2 three-pointers. No other Tiger reached double figures. 

The Tigers introduced a new starting line-up that included freshman, Jane Kent, and the regular starters of Reese, Johnson, Van Lith, and Morrow. The Chicago native took the place of the injured Last-Tear Poa, it was Kent’s first career start. 

MiLaysia Fulwiley led the Gamecocks with 24 points on 8-12 from the field and 4 three-pointers. Te-Hina Paopao followed with 12 points and added 5 assists. Bree Hall and Raven Johnson finished with 9 points each. 

The Tigers got off to a quick start as Morrow scored six quick points to give LSU a 13-7 edge at the first media timeout. LSU was scoreless after the run for over 3 minutes while the Gamecocks moved the margin to just one. Paopao gave South Carolina its first lead of the game, with a fast-break turnover with 30 seconds to play in the quarter. The Gamecocks made two free throws to finish the first with a 18-15 lead. 

Morrow and Kent both connected on early three-pointers to start the second as LSU looked to chip away at South Carolina’s lead. After Raven Johnson made a three for the Gamecocks, LSU’s Johnson hit a triple of her own for her first points of the afternoon. LSU held South Carolina scoreless for over four minutes through the middle portion of the second quarter, getting the score within three before a Watkins layup ended the Gamecock drought. Van Lith knocked down a three in the waning seconds of the half to bring the Tigers within four, 32-36, going into the break.

South Carolina came out of halftime with a 10-1 run to give the Gamecocks their first double figure lead of the day. The Tigers adjusted by going to their big lineup. Reese snapped the run with a second-chance layup that was followed by a three-point play from Del Rosario. At the media timeout LSU trailed by eight. South Carolina extended its lead back to double figures after LSU traded some twos for a couple threes. The Gamecocks got it to a 13-point lead, but by the end of the quarter LSU got the game within six.

South Carolina moved back into a double figure lead three minutes into the final quarter. Van Lith sparked a 9-0 LSU run as she scored five straight and LSU moved within one after Johnson went 2-2 from the foul line.  South Carolina scored six unanswered before a scuffle broke out after a foul was called on Johnson. The benches cleared and all bench players were ejected along with Carodoso for the remainder of the game. For the final 2:08 both teams would play with just five available players, LSU down seven. After the 20-minute delay, LSU scored three to get within five but South Carolina went 4-4 from the free throw line to close things out. 

*LSU press release