South Carolina vs LSU: A Clash Of The Unblemished

This Tournament-esque matchup is a matchup chock-full of headlines; undefeated versus undefeated, No. 1 versus No. 3, Dawn Staley versus Kim Mulkey, Aliyah Boston versus Angel Reese. You name it. This game's got it, something that either coach wouldn't have in any other way.

It'll be the fifth time that Dawn Staley will square off against Kim Mulkey, a personal series split down the middle, with Staley having gotten the better of Mulkey in their previous two affairs. Although Mulkey has already built herself a hall of fame resumé, she and Staley are at different stages at their current stop. Dawn has established South Carolina as a staunch powerhouse in the sport, while Kim's working to get LSU to heights never seen in the program's history.

On the floor, the Tigers will look to get the ball near the basket more often than not, which leads to the matchup that everyone will have their eyes on, Aliyah Boston versus Angel Reese. Reese could be viewed as single-handedly the biggest reason the Tigers possess their current perch, as she's averaged a remarkable 23.5 points and 15.8 rebounds per game this season. However, Boston is still objectively perceived as the most dominant player in the sport due to her ability to shake off constant pressure and impact the game on both ends of the floor, especially in marquee games like this one.

One game-specific facet to watch in this game will be which team gets off to a better start, the Gamecocks' main Achilles heel, as they've only sported an average first-quarter margin of +1.4 points against the top 5 SEC teams they've faced to this point. LSU has done slightly better in this department, touting an average margin of 3.4 points under the same circumstances. Suppose South Carolina gets consistently beat off the dribble by LSU's guards, and more specifically, the Tigers' second-best player arguably in Alexis Morris. In that case, this matchup could be closer than expected.

Beyond just their pride, South Carolina wants to win this game to inch closer to winning the SEC Regular Season Championship, which would be seemingly a lock should they come out victorious. We'll find out if that rings true come later this afternoon.

How To Watch South Carolina vs LSU

Gameday: Sunday, February 12th, 2023.
Game time: 2:00 pm ET
TV: ESPN
Stadium: Colonial Life Arena (Columbia, SC)
Live stream on fuboTV: Start with a 7-day free trial!

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