Sec Tournament Bracket: Gamecocks Set for Top-10 Semifinal With LSU

Emerson Raymont

Published: March 7, 2026 2:52 PM ET

In the sec tournament bracket, No. 3/3 South Carolina will meet No. 6/6 LSU on Sat., March 7, with tipoff at Bon Secours Wellness Arena set for 4: 30 p. m. and the game airing on ESPN2. The matchup is a rematch of a regular-season meeting in Baton Rouge and extends South Carolina's stretch of deep runs in the conference tournament.

Gamecocks set for top-10 semifinal

South Carolina arrives in the semifinals for the seventh-straight season and the 13th time in the last 15 seasons, a run that has produced a 10-2 record in those semifinal contests. The Gamecocks are 11-2 against ranked opponents this season, including a 4-1 mark versus top-10 teams and a +10. 8 scoring margin against those foes.

Sec Tournament Bracket rematch: what happened in Baton Rouge

The regular-season meeting in Baton Rouge ended 79-72 in favor of the Gamecocks after they rallied from a five-point deficit following the first quarter to win the next three quarters. Tessa Johnson led all scorers with 21 points in that game, including 16 in the first half, and the lead changed hands six times before South Carolina took control just before halftime and did not relinquish it.

Players to watch and recent performances

Madina Okot has been a force against top opponents, averaging a double-double of 13. 3 points and 11. 5 rebounds against the nation’s best and producing an eight-game streak of double-doubles in which she averaged 15. 1 points, 13. 6 rebounds and 2. 0 blocks. Joyce Edwards, recently named to the All-America Second Team by The Athletic, scored 21 points against Kentucky for her 19th 20-point game of the season and matched her SEC Tournament debut outing from last year.

Senior Ta’Niya Latson scored 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting and was 5-of-6 from the free throw line while handing out six assists in 24 minutes in her SEC Tournament debut against Kentucky. Tessa Johnson hit 3-of-4 from 3-point range for 15 points in that same game. Raven Johnson has lifted her play against ranked teams, averaging 11. 0 points on 51. 8 percent shooting and 5. 7 assists per game. Freshman bench contributor Maddy McDaniel added seven points, a career-high five rebounds, three steals and two assists in 24 minutes against Kentucky and has averaged 5. 3 points, 3. 3 rebounds and 2. 3 steals over the last three games.

South Carolina’s ball movement was prominent in the win over Kentucky, assisting on 67. 7 percent of made field goals with 21 assists on 31 field goals. The program has posted at least 30 wins in nine of the last 12 seasons, including each of the last five.

Series history and immediate stakes

The Gamecocks and LSU are 22-22 all-time, but South Carolina has dominated in the Dawn Staley era, going 19-5 and winning the last 18 meetings. In SEC Tournament play, the Gamecocks are 3-0 against LSU (1998, 2015, 2024). The semifinal win would advance South Carolina further on the SEC tournament bracket and keep its streak of deep tournament runs intact.

The SEC Tournament semifinal between No. 3/3 South Carolina and No. 6/6 LSU is set for Sat., March 7 at 4: 30 p. m. at Bon Secours Wellness Arena and will be televised on ESPN2. That game is the next confirmed event on the schedule for both teams.