South Carolina Pulls Away Late to Beat LSU 79-72 in Top-10 SEC Clash
South Carolina used a late push to escape Baton Rouge with a 79-72 victory over LSU Saturday night, improving to 25-2 overall and 11-1 in conference play. The Gamecocks got a combined 40 points from Tessa Johnson and Raven Johnson, while LSU dropped to 22-4 and 8-4 in the league following a hard-fought, back-and-forth battle before a crowd of 13, 200 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Johnson duo carries South Carolina in tense road win
The pair of guards carried the offensive load for the visitors, combining for more than half of South Carolina’s point total. Their scoring and late composure allowed the Gamecocks to withstand repeated LSU runs down the stretch. LSU’s senior guard Flau’jae Johnson led the home team with 21 points and added eight rebounds, and Mikaylah Williams provided support with 11 points, but the Tigers couldn’t sustain enough stops late to reclaim control.
Game flow and decisive stretches
LSU opened with a 21-16 first-quarter advantage and kept the game tightly contested through the first half. South Carolina outscored the Tigers 25-19 in the second quarter to take a 41-40 lead into the locker room. The Gamecocks stretched that margin to five by the end of the third quarter, leading 60-55, then held off several LSU rallies in the fourth.
South Carolina generated separation with key baskets during a 9-2 run in the third quarter and relied on timely execution in the final minutes to protect its lead. LSU trimmed the deficit to one multiple times late, and sophomore Jada Richard’s free throws briefly made it 54-53 in the third, but the Tigers were never able to complete a full comeback.
Implications and next steps for both programs
The win keeps South Carolina firmly in command in league standings and bolsters the Gamecocks’ resume in another top-10 matchup on the road. The victory also extends South Carolina’s recent dominance in the series and reinforces the team’s reliance on its backcourt to produce in tight, high-pressure environments.
For LSU, the loss is a setback but comes in a competitive showing against a nationally ranked opponent in a charged atmosphere. The Tigers will regroup quickly and return to conference play with a visit to Oxford on Thursday, where they will look to bounce back and shore up late-game defense that proved costly in Baton Rouge.
Both teams now head into the next stretch of SEC play with clear takeaways: South Carolina will lean on the scoring punch that won this one, while LSU will search for defensive adjustments and scoring balance to close out tight games on the road.
