The last two remaining undefeated teams will face off on Sunday in Columbia, SC, in what surely will be an exciting matchup. The South Carolina Gamecocks (24-0) will host the LSU Tigers (23-0) in a sold-out arena in Columbia, SC. The winner of this game will be the only remaining team in the country and take the number one spot in the SEC, as both teams are currently 11-0 in the SEC. Their last matchup was in Jan. 2022, where the Gamecocks defeated the Tigers in Baton Rouge by a score of 66-60. This year the matchup is expected to be a close one. Here is the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks vs. No. 3 LSU Tigers Preview.
𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑.
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) February 10, 2023
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No. 3 LSU Tigers
The Tigers have been on a mission this season after losing in the second round of the NCAA tournament. They now hope to advance to 24-0 (12-0 SEC) but will have to face the No. 1 ranked Gamecocks. Head Coach Kim Mulkey added many new additions through the transfer portal this off-season, as well as talented freshmen.
The Tigers are led by sophomore transfer Angel Reese who has been a force this season. She has had a double-double every game this season, so for the Tigers to have success against the Gamecocks, they need to be able to get the ball to her. With South Carolina’s strong defense, Reese’s scoring definitely will be limited, so the Tigers will also have to get large contributions from other players. Freshman star Flau’jae Johnson is averaging 13 PPG and will certainly be looked at by South Carolina in their defensive game plan.
A huge responsibility for the Tigers on the defensive side will be limiting Aliyah Boston in the paint. A huge source of South Carolina’s points comes from the paint, particularly from Boston and their various post players. Including 6’7 Kamilla Cardoso, who had 17 points against UConn, the Tigers certainly do not have the height advantage, with their tallest player being 6’4—keeping the Gamecocks out of the paint and forcing them to shoot outside shots. Forcing turnovers will be huge for the Tigers as well as a huge part of the Gamecocks’ game style is playing through their guards and moving the ball on offense. If the Tigers are able to limit the Gamecocks in the paint and force turnovers, then it should be a good game for the Tigers.
No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks
The South Carolina Gamecocks are the reigning national champions and are hoping to continue their winning streak under head coach Dawn Staley. With their win over the Auburn Tigers on Thursday night, the Gamecocks extended their winning streak to 30 games which is the most in program history. The Gamecocks will certainly have a home-court advantage with a sold-out crowd in Columbia and they have not lost on their home court since 2020.
Not only do the Gamecocks have Boston averaging a double-double, but they also have Zia Cooke averaging double figures with 14.8 PPG, leading the team in scoring. It is expected that both Cardoso and Raven Johnson will have good games after their huge contributions in their win against UConn. Johnson is currently leading the team in both assists and steals in her first full season after getting hurt last season and redshirting.
Not only will the Gamecocks need a good offensive game, but a huge responsibility on defense, limiting Reese and Johnson. South Carolina’s advantage is both the height and depth of the bench. The Gamecocks’ bench is a huge reason for their success; they have a strong starting five and solid numbers coming off the bench. The Gamecocks will have to play with their bench and rotate players around to be successful. They will have to limit turnovers and score outside and in the paint, as the Tigers will want to limit their scoring. If the Gamecocks are able to utilize their depth and their scoring in both the paint and outside the paint, then they should be successful.
Predicting the winner
I believe that South Carolina will be the winner of this matchup. Despite LSU’s success so far this season, South Carolina truly is the team to beat. Being both on their home court and it being sold out, South Carolina certainly has the advantage for this matchup. SC is coming off two large wins this week and has a good strength of schedule, so they are certainly prepared for this matchup. Do not count out the Tigers, though; they will certainly give the Gamecocks their all.
Make sure to tune in at 2 pm EST on ESPN to watch the No. 3 LSU Tigers face the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks.
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