Top-ranked South Carolina secured the SEC championship in a thrilling 79-72 victory over No. 5 LSU, marking their eighth SEC title in just 10 years under head coach Dawn Staley. The Gamecocks maintained their undefeated record this season, improving to an impressive 32-0.
However, the game was not without controversy as a near-brawl erupted in the fourth quarter. South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso pushed LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson, sparking a heated altercation that resulted in multiple player ejections. Cardoso’s actions will have consequences as she will miss the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Despite the unsavory incident, the game itself was a showcase of talent. Zia Cooke led all scorers with 24 points for South Carolina, while Diamond Johnson paced the Tigers with 19 points. LSU’s Angel Reese, playing through an ankle injury, put up an impressive double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
South Carolina initially built a comfortable lead of 13 points, but LSU fought back valiantly to make it a close contest. The final score stood at 79-72 in favor of South Carolina, but both teams now eagerly await Selection Sunday to learn their NCAA tournament fate.
Following the game, coach Kim Mulkey of LSU stood by her player Flau’jae Johnson, while Dawn Staley issued an apology for the near-brawl. Despite the loss, Angel Reese exuded confidence for LSU, warning others to be wary of the Tigers in the upcoming tournament.
For a detailed breakdown of the game quarter by quarter and key moments, fans can check out Poh Diaries for an in-depth analysis of this SEC championship clash.
“Social media scholar. Reader. Zombieaholic. Hardcore music maven. Web fanatic. Coffee practitioner. Explorer.”