South Carolina Pulls Away Late, Edges LSU 79-72 in Baton Rouge
BATON ROUGE, La. — On Saturday night, Feb. 14, 2026, South Carolina escaped the Pete Maravich Assembly Center with a 79-72 victory over No. 6 LSU, finishing the Tigers’ chances with a late 6-0 run after LSU had trimmed the deficit to one. The result extended South Carolina’s winning streak over the Tigers to 18 games and left LSU to contemplate what might have been after numerous missed opportunities down the stretch.
Missed chances prove costly for LSU
LSU had several openings to seize control late, but missed execution in the paint and at the free-throw line ultimately doomed the Tigers. Trailing 73-72 with 45. 5 seconds remaining, LSU had a chance to take a one-point lead, but Flau’jae Johnson missed two free throws. South Carolina answered immediately, closing the game on a six-point run capped by Madina Okot’s layup with 25. 5 seconds left and her pair of free throws with 16. 1 seconds remaining.
The missed attempts were not isolated late mistakes. LSU finished the night having missed 10 layups and nine free throws, a cumulative shortfall that erased chances to pull away or respond during momentum swings. The Tigers also struggled with consistency in stretches — opening the third quarter by missing eight of their first 11 shots — which allowed South Carolina to build and maintain leads when it mattered most.
Key performances and how the game flowed
Tessa Johnson led the victors with 21 points, while Raven Johnson added 19 as the guard duo accounted for a large portion of South Carolina’s offense. Center Madina Okot posted a double-double with 12 points and 17 rebounds, and Joyce Edwards chipped in 10 points. For LSU, Flau’jae Johnson paced the Tigers with 21 points and eight rebounds; Mikaylah Williams finished with 11.
The first half featured multiple lead changes. LSU held a 21-16 edge after the opening quarter but saw that advantage erased by a second period in which the visitors shot well from deep, going 5-for-9 from 3-point range in the frame. South Carolina led 41-40 at the break despite having led for only 4: 09 of the first half overall.
South Carolina built a cushion early in the third quarter with a 9-2 run to push the lead to 50-42 with about 5: 20 remaining in the period. LSU battled back behind contributions from reserves Bella Hines and Jada Richard, twice cutting the margin to three entering the fourth, but the Gamecocks closed the third with a four-point spurt for a 60-55 advantage.
The fourth quarter saw LSU score on layups on four straight possessions — two finishes by Flau’jae Johnson among them — narrowing the gap to 69-68 with 3: 44 to play and forcing a timeout. South Carolina managed the final minutes more efficiently, converting high-leverage chances and sealing the outcome at the foul line and in the paint.
Outlook for LSU
The Tigers fall to 22-4 overall and 8-4 in conference play, and will need to tighten execution in the paint and at the charity stripe if they hope to rebound quickly. The performance showed resilience — LSU kept the game within reach and fought through several momentum swings — but the abundance of missed layups and free throws underscored an area requiring immediate attention.
LSU returns to action on Thursday when the team travels for its next conference contest. The program and fans will be looking for cleaner finishes and better free-throw shooting to avoid a repeat of Saturday’s late collapse.
