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The most anticipated SEC women’s basketball showdown of the season will take place at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
No. 1 South Carolina (17-0, 5-0 SEC) plays No. 9 LSU (18-2, 5-1) on Thursday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN). ESPN’s College GameDay will preview the matchup that will play a major role in determining the SEC regular-season champion.
The picks are in: Here are who women’s basketball experts across the country believe will emerge victorious from the matchup between the Gamecocks and Tigers.
Cory Díaz, The Daily Advertiser
South Carolina 93, LSU 79: All that LSU struggles with defensively, South Carolina does extremely well on offense, i.e. shooting the 3-ball and transition offense. Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow haven’t matched anyone this season like Kamilla Cardoso at the position. The LSU crowd will play a role early on, but the Gamecocks will settle in and pull away.
Lindsay Schnell, USA Today
LSU 71, South Carolina 66: An athletics competition or a defensive fight? It’s hard to know exactly what will happen when two of the most talented teams in the country collide, but I’m leaning toward LSU simply because of where the game is played. As Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors said, the Tigers’ crowd is worth 8 to 10 points. So I’ll give a (very slight) edge to LSU, but I won’t be surprised by any results.
Stefan Krajisnik, Clarion Ledger
South Carolina 78, LSU 75: This South Carolina team had the talent to step into big shoes and have success this season, but what has been impressive is how Staley’s team has played on the road. Baton Rouge will be a step up in terms of hostile environments, but I think the Gamecocks will be up to the challenge and eliminate any debate about who is the best team in the SEC.
David Eckert, Clarion Ledger
South Carolina 78, LSU 75. Although LSU’s roster is filled with elite scoring talent and its points-per-game average is the best in college basketball, South Carolina’s offense has been more efficient. Despite considerable roster turnover, Dawn Staley has built the best three-point shooting team in the country that also owns the highest overall field goal percentage in the country. The Gamecocks’ defense has also been better. Winning in Baton Rouge won’t be easy, but this revamped South Carolina team has what it takes.
Cora Hall, Knox News
South Carolina 85, LSU 76: If this game wasn’t in the PMAC, I would predict a blowout win for South Carolina. But LSU will have home field advantage, so the Tigers will hang in there and make it an exciting game. However, the Gamecocks are too good (historically good, on both ends of the floor) for LSU to pull off an upset and hand them their first loss of the season.
Emily Adams, Hartford Courant
South Carolina 81, LSU 72: The Gamecocks fall behind early thanks to a rowdy Baton Rouge crowd, but the defense locks up in the second half. Kamilla Cardoso achieves her 11th double-double of the season and holds Angel Reese to less than 20 points.
David Cloninger, The Post and Courier
South Carolina 84, LSU 78: LSU is confident it can outscore the opponent. South Carolina outplays its opponents because it defends as fiercely as it scores.
Mark Schindler, Seven Stars Digital
South Carolina 79, LSU 68: South Carolina is once again the best defensive team in the country and plays with a new verve on offense. Each individual is a playmaker, shoots the ball incredibly well, dominates the interior, owns the glass.
LSU is a legitimate national title contender, but it has flaws. This team doesn’t shoot the bell well or often from deep. They are strong defensively and can beat you in transition, but they can struggle in the midfield. This could be a big step forward for LSU, or another follow-up moment for South Carolina; I would bet on the latter without ruling out the former.
Caroline Makauskas, leader of the Lexington Herald
South Carolina 89, LSU 76: This new South Carolina roster has done nothing but demonstrate its ability to play together, hard, against some of the toughest competition in the country, while LSU seems to, at times, continue to find a way to thrive under pressure. The Tigers have everything they need to make this one competitive, but South Carolina’s defense and rebounding should keep the Gamecocks undefeated.
Aria Gerson, Tennessee
South Carolina 89, LSU 80: Although the game is in Baton Rouge, LSU is untested against the type of top-tier teams the Gamecocks have proven they can beat. South Carolina’s elite three-point shooting should travel well.
Alexis Cubit, Courier Diary
South Carolina 88, LSU 84: South Carolina is playing at another level right now with young talent like Raven Johnson and MiLaysia Fulwiley, the fully developed Kamilla Cardoso and a transfer in Te-Hina Paopao. It will also be close because of all the talent LSU has and the way it bounced back from the loss to Auburn, but the Gamecocks will have the final say against the defending champions in what is sure to give women’s college basketball fans the value of your money. .
Marisa Ingemi, San Francisco Chronicle
South Carolina 75, LSU 67: This isn’t a hate on LSU, because I think at this point we’ve learned not to doubt them, but I don’t feel like I can pick against South Carolina until they show some cracks, which they really haven’t done this season. If anything, the Gamecocks have proven that they are still the best in the country even without Aliyah Boston. I’m not going to doubt them until they force me to.