What we now know after the LSU Tigers loss to South Carolina

The LSU Tigers women’s basketball team locked horns with South Carolina, in a battle of unbeatens, on Sunday afternoon. After watching the Bayou Bengals take their first loss of the season, we have some clarity on the way forward.

The LSU Tigers can play with any team in the country, but few expected a win at South Carolina. Such is an indication of how good Dawn Staley’s squad currently is. LSU needed to play a perfect game and hope for some South Carolina mistakes to have a chance to win. Unsurprisingly, we experienced the opposite. The Bayou Bengals struggled to match South Carolina’s size and depth, and the Gamecocks rarely missed a shot. However, there are some positives to take from Sunday’s loss.

The silver lining is the LSU Tigers will play the remainder of their season driven by the 88-64 loss. They need to improve and collectively grow enough to beat South Carolina. Such seems obvious, but saying it is one thing and experiencing the Gamecocks is another. Think of Michael Jordan’s drive and determination to beat the Detroit Pistons from 1988 to 1991. One can assume the likes of Angel Reese and Alexis Morris are now on a similar collegiate path.

Comparing Jordan’s Bulls to the LSU Tigers women’s basketball team is extreme. However, there are many comparisons between Staley’s Gamecocks and the Detroit Pistons ‘Bad Boys’ roster and style of play. If LSU is going to break through like Jordan’s Bulls, they will need to get bigger and add depth. Thankfully, Kim Mulkey is already addressing LSU’s both deficiencies through recruiting.

The LSU Tigers signed the nation’s top recruiting class in November. Such includes the No. 1 post player in the country Aalyah Del Rosario (6’5). Mulkey also added the top overall player in combo guard Mikaylah Williams. Both will make immediate contributions to a team that is even better next year. Considering the current LSU Tigers are 23-1 and in control of their division, it is incredible to ponder the potential.

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Sadly, Angel Reese’s consecutive double-double streak ended at 23 games. She overcame a slow start to finish with 16 points but only four rebounds. The Gamecocks controlled the boards with 43 rebounds compared to LSU’s 25. Offensively, Alexis Morris kept the Tigers in the game through much of the 2nd and early in the 3rd quarter. The Senior guard was 11-29 in shooting with 23 points.

The LSU Tigers will head back to Baton Rouge, dust off, and prepare for their Thursday game against Ole Miss. Then, hopefully, they’ll see South Carolina again in the SEC tournament. The Gamecocks are now the only remaining unbeaten women’s basketball program in the country.