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The No. 2-ranked South Carolina (18-1, 6-0 SEC) hosts the No. 5-ranked LSU (20-0, 5-0) in a clash of SEC superpowers on Friday afternoon at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina.
Originally scheduled to be played on Thursday, the game needed to be moved to Friday due to winter weather affecting the Florida Panhandle, Georgia, southern Louisiana and coastal Carolinas. This made it difficult for LSU to travel to South Carolina for the big-time matchup.
It is the rematch of last season's SEC Tournament final where the Gamecocks won 79-72. South Carolina, coming off a 101-60 victory over No. 13 Oklahoma on Sunday, looks to extend its winning streak to 14 games while aiming to hand LSU its first loss.
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On the other hand, the Lady Tigers look to end the stretch of futility with the Gamecocks and improve their record to 21-0. This will move them two wins away from tying its best start of all-time (23-0 in the 2022-23 season).
Let's look at the odds and predictions for this highly-anticipated showdown between the two women's college basketball powerhouses in the SEC.
LSU vs. South Carolina prediction
LSU and South Carolina are off to good starts this season. LSU is a well-oiled offensive machine, averaging 90.6 points per game and shooting 48.9% over its first 20 games.
The Big 3 of Flau'Jae Johnson, Aneesah Morrow and Mikaylah Williams is carrying most of the scoring load with Johnson leading the team with 20.0 ppg. Morrow, on the other hand, has been the top defensive player in the Lady Tigers' lineup, hauling down 14.2 rebounds and recording 2.5 steals per contest.
Williams, the shooter of the trio, stabilizes the squad with her shooting prowess and consistent marksmanship from the free-throw line, converting 89.5% of her attempts.
On the other hand, South Carolina's balanced scoring and excellent defense have made it difficult for rivals to keep in step with them. Six players are averaging at least 7.4 ppg, led by rookie forward Joyce Edwards (12.1 ppg) and sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley (11.2 ppg).
The Gamecocks' activity on defense has caused headaches for rivals as they have allowed their foes to shoot 34.2% and score 55.1 ppg. They are good in taking care of the ball too, tallying 12.1 turnovers.
The discrepancy in the number of quality opponents is glaring for both teams with LSU playing only its third Top 25 team while South Carolina has been more exposed with eight. This includes three straight over the past 12 days.
The over/under for this heavyweight women's college basketball matchup is 152.5 and the Gamecocks are 16.5-point favorites (per On3 citing FanDuel).
Prediction: LSU 75, South Carolina 79
LSU vs South Carolina odds
LSU vs South Carolina head-to-head
Since the 2001-02 season, LSU and South Carolina have met 29 times with the Gamecocks leading the series, 17-12. This includes the 4-0 mark South Carolina had with LSU under the tutelage of Kim Mulkey.
How to watch LSU vs South Carolina
ESPN will air the much-anticipated SEC showdown between LSU and South Carolina at 5:00 p.m. ET with Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo (analyst), and Holly Rowe (reporter) as the broadcast crew. The matchup can be streamed live on Fubo, espn.com and the ESPN app.
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