When South Carolina’s Ta’lon Cooper made a 3-pointer to break its tie with the Tigers, putting the Gamecocks up 63-60 with 29 seconds left, it could’ve been the dagger.
LSU has come to the doorstep of wins many times this year, only to be denied again and again. This time, LSU mounted a comeback, shrinking the 16-point deficit. Many times before, though, that meant little, with the other team making one final run to put it away.
On Saturday, it was the Tigers who finally finished strong, resulting in a 64-63 win at No. 11 South Carolina that was beyond overdue.
“We’ve been struggling to get over the hump,” head coach Matt McMahon said. “Our guys, credit to them, just stayed the course.”
After Cooper’s three, LSU star Jordan Wright calmly and quickly scored a layup. One timeout later, Jalen Reed and Hunter Dean pressured the inbound and got their hands on the ball for a tie-up. The jump ball went to LSU.
On the ensuing possession, Wright once again was the killer. He deliberately drove to the inside and lifted up for a shot, drawing a foul. He subsequently drilled both free throws to put LSU ahead, and South Carolina’s final miss ended the game.
“It’s taught me how to stay poised,” Wright said of how his four years of Southeastern Conference experience prepared him for the moment. “Early in my career, I struggled with that, just getting too involved in the crowd or the emotions of the game. Now I’ve played a lot of big games in my career.”
The win was LSU’s first ranked win of the season and just its third quadrant one win of the season. Many times, the Tigers have found themselves falling just short of a comeback to take down one of the SEC’s many great teams, but on Saturday, they finally got it done.
Tyrell Ward comes up big
As remarkably calm and impactful as Wright was in the final moments, Ward led the team in points with 16, two more than Wright’s 14.
Before Wright scored LSU’s final seven points of the game, Ward went on a run of his own. With LSU down eight with just under four minutes left in the game, Ward decisively drove to the rim and threw down a vicious dunk.
The next time down the court, Ward found himself open as South Carolina switched a screen and used the window of opportunity to hoist a 3-pointer that drew LSU within one.
After Mack put the Gamecocks back up three, Ward saw daylight again on a very similar play. He let another shot from distance go, and it once again fell to tie the game.
What was most remarkable about Ward’s performance was that his impact came with the ball in his hand rather than as a catch-and-shoot threat. As Ward grows as a player, he’ll be trusted more to initiate and finish plays like that.
Ward also defended on the final possession, where Ward’s positioning forced Jacobi Wright to take a difficult, off-balance corner 3-pointer that was off the mark.
Ward was named a starter for the game with McMahon making changes to the lineup, benching Mike Williams III and Reed. In addition, point guard Jalen Cook was a surprise inactive for the game, so Ward and Wright both needed to handle a bigger offensive load.
LSU struggles with physicality but overcomes in the end
Despite being the No. 11 team in the country, South Carolina is the No. 225 offense in the country by points scored. However, it has a strong physical identity with big men who can score in the post.
LSU hasn’t defended many post-centric teams this year, but it’s clear the Tiger big men are better equipped for ball-screen defense than holding up against a strong post-up.
South Carolina’s starting big men B.J. Mack and Collin Murray-Boyles were the leaders for an otherwise struggling Gamecock offense. They finished with 18 and 13 points, respectively, but were less effective down the stretch.
The Gamecocks also came up with nine offensive rebounds they cashed in for 11 second-chance points, out-muscling LSU on multiple occasions.
On the other end, South Carolina made it difficult for LSU defensively. The Gamecocks are the top defense in the SEC this season by points allowed, despite only being No. 7 in field goal percentage allowed.
Why?
The Gamecocks limit 3-point opportunities and force teams to score inside. Coming into Saturday’s game, teams have taken only 442 3-pointers against South Carolina, which is the least in the SEC and the 24th-fewest in the nation.
South Carolina’s defenders habitually went over screens on the perimeter, sticking to the ball handler and forcing them to score downhill. LSU got very few easy opportunities, which was doubly problematic for the Tigers given they’ve had troubles with finishing at the rim this year.
Despite that, LSU ultimately made enough of those difficult shots to put itself in a position to win.
What’s next?
LSU will host Kentucky, currently ranked No. 22 in the AP poll, at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
The Wildcats have seen a quick descent in the rankings, as they’ve lost four of their last seven and have the potential to lose again, facing Auburn on Saturday.
Kentucky scores it better than almost anyone, coming in at No. 3 in the nation in points per game, but its defense has been its Achilles’ heel. The defense lags far behind at No. 317 in points allowed.
It’s unclear whether Cook will return for that game.
