Tessa Johnson scored 21 points as No. 3 South Carolina beat No. 6 LSU 79-72 on Saturday night and extended its winning streak over the Tigers to 18 games.
Trailing 73-72, LSU had a chance to take a one-point lead with 45.5 seconds left, but Flau’jae Johnson missed two free throws.
South Carolina (25-2, 11-1 SEC) closed out the Tigers (22-4, 8-4) by scoring six straight points, including Madina Okot’s layup with 25.5 seconds left and her two free throws with 16.1 seconds remaining.
Raven Johnson added 19 for the Gamecocks, Okot had a double-double with 12 points and 17 rebounds, and Joyce Edwards scored 10 points.
Johnson led LSU with 21 points, and Mikaylah Williams added 11.
The Tigers had their chances, but wasted too many opportunities. They missed 10 layups and nine free throws.
Despite leading for only 4:09 in the first half, South Carolina flipped LSU’s 21-16 first-quarter lead into a 41-40 halftime advantage.
The Tigers led by as many as five points several times in the second quarter, but never could pull away. Despite Johnson scoring eight points, the Gamecocks countered with 5-for-9 shooting from 3-point range in the period.
Tessa Johnson and Raven Johnson combined for 19 of South Carolina’s 25 points in the second period. Tessa Johnson, the SEC’s leading 3-point shooter, scored 11 points and was 3 for 4 from long distance.
LSU opened the third quarter missing eight of its first 11 shots, including two layups. South Carolina capitalized with a 9-2 run for a 50-42 lead with 5:20 left in the period.
Tigers’ reserve forward Bella Hines and Jada Richard sparked rallies that twice cut the Gamecocks’ margin to three points. But South Carolina scored the final four points in the period for a 60-55 lead entering the final quarter.
LSU scored on layups on four straight possessions, two by Flau’Jae Johnson, forcing the Gamecocks to call a timeout with 3:44 left and clinging to a 69-68 lead. But South Carolina never lost the lead.
Up next
South Carolina: At No. 23 Alabama on Thursday.
LSU: At No. 16 Ole Miss on Thursday.
READ MORE:No. 3 South Carolina beats No. 6 LSU 79-72, extending winning streak against the Tigers to 18 games
