COLUMBIA — It’s time for a top 4 matchup in Colonial Life Arena.
No. 2 South Carolina women’s basketball hosts No. 4 LSU on Thursday (8 p.m., ESPN) in a highly anticipated game that will begin with a feature on ESPN’s “College GameDay.”
The Gamecocks (18-1, 6-0 SEC) and the Tigers (20-0, 5-0) are the most recent national champions, with South Carolina winning in 2024 and LSU winning in 2023.
Here is what to know about LSU ahead of the matchup:
Annesah Morrow, Flau’Jae Johnson are LSU women’s basketball stars
The Tigers are led by two dynamic scoring guards in Annesah Morrow and Flau’Jae Johnson. Johnson is leading the team with 20 points per game with Morrow averaging 18.7.
Johnson was No. 7 and Morrow was No. 8 in ESPN’s ranking of the top women’s NCAA basketball players for the 2024-25 season. In the 2024 SEC Tournament championship, the last time these two teams met, Johnson had 13 points and Morrow had 19.
Their point per game averages put them at No. 4 and No. 6 in the conference, posing a challenge for South Carolina as the two are the highest scoring guards it has faced so far this season.
Dawn Staley vs Kim Mulkey: South Carolina coach’s record vs LSU coach
Dawn Staley is 5-2 vs Kim Mulkey in her coaching career.
Mulkey has been the coach of LSU since the 2021-22 season and she has yet to beat Staley with the Tigers.
Before arriving in Baton Rouge, she coached for 21 seasons at Baylor, where she was successful against Staley’s South Carolina team.
On Dec. 2, 2018, Mulkey’s Baylor team beat the Gamecocks 94-69. The same season, Mulkey won again in the NCAA tournament on March 30, 2019, 93-68.
Staley didn’t beat Baylor and Mulkey until Nov. 30, 2019, when South Carolina won 74-59.
The last four wins have gone to Staley.
South Carolina women’s basketball has won 16 straight games vs LSU
South Carolina has not lost to the Tigers since Jan. 12, 2012, but LSU still leads 22-20 in the all time series.
The Gamecocks have won the last 16 meetings but from 1992-2011, South Carolina only beat LSU four times, including 14-straight losses from 1998-2010.
South Carolina vs LSU injury updates
The SEC injury report will be released on Wednesday night but as of Sunday’s games
South Carolina
LSU
South Carolina score prediction vs LSU
South Carolina 81, LSU 72: LSU’s top scorers pose a challenge but Bree Hall and Raven Johnson’s defensive effort carry a deep South Carolina roster to the win.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina vs LSU score prediction: Dawn Staley vs Kim Mulkey
