A S. Carolina-LSU SEC championship clash

If Saturday’s SEC Tournament action did not provide enough thrills, get ready for a titanic title game clash on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. The undefeated and No. 1-seed South Carolina Gamecocks meet the defending national champion and No. 2-seed LSU Lady Tigers.

Can anything top the “Thrilla from Kamilla”?

A 2024 SEC Tournament championship game between the still-undefeated No. 1-seed South Carolina Gamecocks (31-0, 16-0) and the defending national champion No. 2-seed LSU Lady Tigers (28-4, 13-3) promises to deliver more drama. The tourney title game between the SEC’s two titans tips off Sunday, Mar. 10 at Bons Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC at 3 p.m. ET (ESPN).

In addition to preserving their perfect mark, South Carolina is shooting for a second-straight SEC Tournament title, and their eighth overall. LSU has returned to the conference title game for the first time since 2012, looking to win the program’s first tourney trophy since 2003. The two teams met once during the regular season, with South Carolina, boosted by a clutch 3-pointer from junior guard Bree Hall, coming back for the 76-70 win in Baton Rouge. Angel Reese fouled out with over four minutes to play, with her absence proving pivotal to LSU’s upset bid.

South Carolina survives and advances

South Carolina’s perfect season was in absolute peril until Cardoso, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, drained the first 3-pointer of her career as the buzzer sounded, allowing the Gamecocks to escape against the No. 5-seed Tennessee Lady Vols, 74-73.

It’s guaranteed that head coach Dawn Staley will not allow the exciting outcome to obscure why her team required a rescue. South Carolina had a 23-point advantage in the second quarter and led by 13 points at halftime. However, Tennessee showed the kind of resiliency that has defined their up-and-down season, and fifth-year wing Rickea Jackson showed why she’s one of the best players in the nation. Jackson scored 19 of 22 points after the break, helping the Lady Vols chip away at the Gamecocks’ lead until her putback with 25 seconds left inched Tennessee ahead. Jackson also put on a scoring clinic on the nation’s top-ranked defense one week ago, scoring 29 points in the hard-fought regular-season finale between the Gamecocks and and Lady Vols.

South Carolina must be better against LSU’s talented isolation scorers, as defense remains the key to the Gamecocks’ greatness. Stops and takeaways fuel South Carolina’s deadly, often demoralizing transition game. Even as this year’s team has improved in the offensive half court, South Carolina is best when attacking and scoring early. Early in the season, that often was the case, with the Gamecocks’ defense-to-offense machine operating in high gear as they ran opponents off the floor and looked levels above. Of late, there have been some kinks in the machinery and the Gamecocks have appeared mortal. To raise the trophy on Sunday, South Carolina must use the momentum from Cardoso’s miracle to rediscover their sharpest, sleekest selves.

LSU looks for first tourney title in more than 20 years

Emotions, albeit the unwanted kind, also were running high as LSU earned a 75-67 semifinal win over the No. 3-seed Ole Miss Rebels. Junior guard Last-Tear Poa experienced a scary fall in the fourth quarter, hitting her head on the hardwood. Taken off on a stretcher, Poa was evaluated at a local hospital, where a scan revealed no critical damage beyond a concussion. She was expected to be released from the hospital.

The Lady Tigers fended off the Rebels behind sophomore guard Flau’jae Johnson and SEC Player of the Year Angel Reese, both of whom scored 21 points. Reese, who appeared unbothered by a swollen and sore ankle, also grabbed 17 rebounds to finish with the double-double. She left LSU’s quarterfinal win over Auburn with the ankle injury; she expressed every intention to again suit up tomorrow after the game. Her presence, particularly her prowess on the boards, will be important for the Lady Tigers.

The return of SEC Freshman of the Year Mikaylah Williams also would be advantageous for LSU. While Williams has been available to play in the SEC Tournament, she has not taken the court for the Lady Tigers, nursing a foot injury that has her in a walking boot. The big wing has a three-level scoring game similar to that of Rickea Jackson, which, as noted above, has caused problems for South Carolina. Lucky for LSU, junior guard Aneesah Morrow also thrives as a mid-range and low-post scorer, comfortably and craftily working her way into buckets. She had a 12-point and 12-rebound double-double on Saturday; in the Jan. 25 game against the Gamecocks, she shot better than 63 percent from the field as she scored 16 points and grabbed 10 boards.

Depth, however, stands as a concern for LSU and their championship hopes. If Williams is unable to go and foul trouble materializes, something that tends to happen with Reese, the Lady Tigers might not have enough juice to keep up with a deep Gamecock team. That this will be the third game in three days for both teams—and after emotionally-charged contests less than 24 hours prior—suggests this game could be the kind of sloppy, chaotic affair that makes March mad. Buckle up!

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Game information

No. 1-seed South Carolina Gamecocks (31-0, 16-0) vs. No. 2-seed LSU Lady Tigers (28-4, 13-3)

When: Sunday, Mar. 10 at 3 p.m. ET

Where: Bons Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC

How to watch: ESPN