BATON ROUGE, La. – On Valentine’s Day, the stage is set for an exhilarating face-off as the sixth-ranked LSU women’s basketball team prepares to take on the third-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. This historic matchup, set for Saturday night, will air on ABC, marking the first time a women’s college basketball game has been featured in a Saturday primetime slot.
The upcoming game will be the 44th meeting between LSU and South Carolina, where LSU holds a narrow 22-21 advantage. However, South Carolina has dominated recent encounters, winning the last 17 matchups since LSU’s last victory on January 12, 2012, when they defeated the Gamecocks 58-48 in Baton Rouge.
LSU has shown a dominant performance at home in this series, leading 12-8 when the games are played in the Maravich Center. Saturday’s contest will also be notable as the Tigers have not played on a Saturday since a significant win against No. 17 Georgia in 2005 when they were the top-ranked team.
The event will feature highly regarded ESPN announcers, including Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, and Holly Rowe, ensuring an engaging viewing experience for fans. Adding to the excitement, ESPN’s College GameDay will broadcast live from the venue starting at 7 p.m. CT, leading into the game at 7:40 p.m. This will be the second occasion that LSU has hosted College GameDay, the last being against South Carolina in 2024.
Star senior guard Flau’jae Johnson is approaching another milestone, having recently surpassed 1,900 points. She is just 90 points shy of becoming one of the elite LSU players to reach the 2,000-point mark, joining legends like Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles. Johnson currently ranks 13th among active Division I players for total points scored.
LSU has been a powerhouse this season, leading the nation in scoring average with 96.6 points per game, well above the SEC record set in 1986. With a season total of 2,415 points, the Tigers are on track to break that record.
In their most recent outing, freshman ZaKiyah Johnson led the team with 16 points, contributing to a decisive 77-44 victory over Auburn. She was supported by seniors Flau’jae Johnson and Amiya Joyner, along with junior Mikaylah Williams in double figures, showcasing the depth of talent within the team.
As LSU wraps up its SEC schedule, the final stretch includes two challenging road games and three consequential home games, with three ranked teams currently in the AP Top 25. The Tigers are also leading the nation in three statistical categories: bench points per game, rebound margin, and scoring offense, solidifying their status as a formidable contender in women’s college basketball.