Gamecock Digest

Trends Of The Game: No. 1 South Carolina at No. 9 LSU

South Carolina's women's basketball team didn't play perfect, but executed well enough late to get past the LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge.

Andrew Lyon

Trends Of The Game: No. 1 South Carolina at No. 9 LSU
Trends Of The Game: No. 1 South Carolina at No. 9 LSU /

Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks came into Thursday night's hyped-up battle versus the No. 9 LSU Tigers looking to remain undefeated and maintain possession of first place in the SEC regular season title race. Although they trailed for the majority of the game, Staley's squad made plays when it mattered the most late, powering themselves past the Tigers in the process.

What all took place in Baton Rouge that resulted in the come-from-behind win?

Tale Of Two Halves On Defensive Glass

Although they came in with the deeper and more reputable frontcourt, the Gamecocks got completely outplayed in the first half by LSU, particularly on the defensive glass. Kim Mulkey had practically all of her players crashing the boards to make up for their lack of size, and their stronger 'want-to' led to them getting an astonishing ten offensive rebounds in the first half.

In the second half, it was South Carolina who brought the fight, immediately reestablishing their presence by bringing more energy as a collective unit. It sounds simplistic, but rebounding is part technique, part timing, and mostly effort-based. The Tigers only had three offensive boards in the final 20 minutes and reeled in less than half the total rebounds they got in the first half.

The Star Freshmen Had An Impact

While not always matched up against one another specifically, South Carolina's MiLaysia Fulwiley and LSU's Mikaylah Williams affected the game in opposite fashions. Fulwiley played, in my opinion, one of the best games of her young career because she was both efficient and patient, scoring eight points on 50 percent shooting from the floor and forty percent shooting from three-point range.

She played a massive role in the Gamecocks' mini-run they went on late in the first half that cut the Tigers' lead down to five, which should not be discounted. Williams scored 12 points but shot 27.8 percent from the floor and was 10 percent from behind the arc after coming into the game as the third-best three-point shooter by percentage in the SEC.

Championship Mettle

Tonight isn't the first time South Carolina found themselves in a dogfight late. In three other matchups away from home this season against North Carolina, Duke, and Utah, the Gamecocks had to outplay their opponent in the final ten minutes to pull out the victory.

Carolina outscored LSU by ten points in the fourth quarter. Championship teams find a way to make winning plays. Plain and simple. 

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Andrew Lyon
ANDREW LYON

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