In a matchup of two SEC schools with Final Four aspirations, No. 1 South Carolina kept its undefeated season alive Thursday, overcoming a five-point halftime deficit to defeat No. 9 LSU 76-70.
Gamecocks sophomore forward Chloe Kitts led South Carolina with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field. Thanks to a balanced scoring attack, the Gamecocks rallied back from a margin that reached as high as 11 points at one point. All told, each member of South Carolina’s starting lineup scored in double figures and it received 16 combined bench points, compared to just 4 from the Tigers reserves.
LSU led for the majority of the contest, but its defense struggled in the fourth quarter allowing 24 points. Star forward Angel Reese scored 15 points and added eight rebounds, but she fouled out 4:02 remaining in the game. When she retreated to the bench, the Tigers led 67-65.
But with her sidelined, South Carolina closed the contest on an 11-3 run, with all 11 points coming from either guard Raven Johnson or guard Bree Hall, who hit two 3s in the final three minutes. Forward Aneesah Morrow finished the LSU loss with a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double, and three other Tigers finished with double figures.
Playing in front of a raucous sellout crowd of 13,205, LSU had been looking to both…
