No. 5 LSU women’s basketball fell 66-56  in a blockbuster matchup with No. 2 South Carolina on Friday, marking the Tigers’ fifth straight loss to the Gamecocks during the Kim Mulkey era.

It was LSU’s first loss of the season, leaving No. 1 UCLA — who beat South Carolina earlier this year — as the only undefeated team left in the nation.

Despite all the weight put on the clash between the titans of the SEC, head coach Mulkey insisted after the game that winning the matchup wasn’t LSU’s top priority.

“This isn’t the biggest game of the year,” Mulkey said. “Y’all might think it is, but it’s not.”

Mulkey instead pointed to the NCAA Tournament as her measuring stick of what her teams are worth. Since Mulkey started at LSU, the Tigers have won a national championship and South Carolina has won two.

Mulkey said she took away positives from the game and learned a lot about her previously unproven team.

“I learned we can hang with the best in the country,” Mulkey said. “And I do think they’re the best in the country.”

At the same time, the coach acknowledged that LSU was outmatched from a talent standpoint and joked that LSU wouldn’t mind having a few of South Carolina’s bench players.

“I don’t think I’ve ever coached against a team that had 10 McDonald’s All-Americans on the roster,” Mulkey said. “How do you even get 10?”

Mulkey also defended her two leading scorers, junior guard Flau’jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow, who had rough outings against the stifling South Carolina defense. Johnson shot 33.3% from the field while Morrow shot 31.6%.

Mulkey pointed out Johnson’s excellent defense on South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao and said Morrow “did what she usually does” in achieving a double-double.