(1) South Carolina vs (4) LSU | SEC Tournament: Semifinals | 3.7.26

Описание: GREENVILLE, South Carolina — March 7th, 2026

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Written by Mitchell Northam | USA TODAY

Raven Johnson doesn't often score boatloads of points for South Carolina.

But having had to gameplan for her over the past four seasons, LSU coach Kim Mulkey knows that Johnson can light a team up if they don't guard her closely.

“You want leaders like that, and she makes everybody else better,” Mulkey said of Johnson. “She doesn't come down and jack up a shot. She will shoot it if left open. She'll definitely shoot it if the shot clock is winding down. That's what she did today. Nothing about that surprises me. I think each year she's been at South Carolina, her role has stayed the same.”

Johnson's role Saturday was to lead her top-seeded Gamecocks in scoring the SEC Tournament semifinals. Behind a career-high 22 points from Johnson, South Carolina defeated No. 4 LSU 83-77 to punch their ticket to the SEC title game for the seventh consecutive year.

Johnson shot an impressive 9-of-14 from the floor and 4-of-6 from 3-point land and also collected three rebounds and eight assists in the victory for the Gamecocks (31-2). South Carolina was also boosted by a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds from Joyce Edwards, 19 points from Ta’Niya Latson and 11 points from Tessa Johnson.

Raven Johnson is averaging a career-best 10.3 points and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 50.6% from the floor and 40.7% from 3-point land.

“Raven is a phenomenal player,” Edwards told USA TODAY Sports in the locker room. “She’s the best point guard in college basketball right now. The experience, the wins, the leadership, the passes — everything you need in a point guard, she embodies it. I'm just really proud of her.”

Playing against her former team, MiLaysia Fulwiley posted a season-high 24 points for LSU (27-5). Jada Richard added 17 points and Mikaylah Williams had 14 for the Tigers in what was their 19th consecutive loss to South Carolina.

LSU senior Flau’Jae Johnson struggled, finishing with six points on 1-of-8 shooting and five assists to three turnovers.

The Tigers led by four points at halftime, but the Gamecocks outscored them 23-14 in the third quarter, powered by 12 points from Raven Johnson. South Carolina also scored 15 points off 14 LSU turnovers and got 18 second-chance points off 13 offensive rebounds. Five of Madina Okot’s 13 rebounds came off the offensive glass.

LSU grabbed that lead in the first half after Fulwiley led them on a scoring surge, scoring 12 points in the second quarter. She played some of her best basketball of this season in the building where she won state championships as a high schooler, and the last two SEC titles with South Carolina.

“My family was here and they always give me extra motivation to play well. Just seeing them in the stands made me want to go harder,” Fulwiley said. “I was just staying confident, just believing in myself, believing in all the work I put in. My teammates did a great job finding me, and I just made sure I made the baskets.”

Since 2015, there's been just two seasons in which Dawn Staley's Gamecocks didn't win the SEC Tournament championship. In 2019 they were upset in the quarterfinals by Arkansas and in 2021 lost on a buzzer-beater in the final to Kentucky.

On Sunday, the Gamecocks will be going for their fourth consecutive conference championship. They'll face the winner of the second semifinal between Texas and Ole Miss.

Johnson has a career-best 22 points so far on 9-of-13 shooting and has swished four 3-pointers.

MiLaysia Fulwiley has 19 points for LSU, while Jada Richard has 14.

South Carolina has scored 14 second-chance points on 10 offensive rebounds.

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