COLUMBIA, S.C. – LSU coach Kim Mulkey understands dominance and noticed it once more on Sunday.

“It is South Carolina, for my part,” she mentioned flatly, “and it is everyone else.”

Kamilla Cardoso had 18 factors and 13 rebounds, Zia Cooke scored 17 factors and the top-ranked Gamecocks (25-0, 12-0 Southeastern Convention) stayed good with an 88-64 victory over No. 3 LSU for his or her thirty first straight win.

Within the showdown of Division I’s remaining two undefeateds, it was no contest – one thing Mulkey has had expertise with previously.

Mulkey led Baylor to a few nationwide titles, her crown in 2011-12 coming along with her 40-0 staff. It will not shock her if these Gamecocks, already defending nationwide champs, pull off that feat this season – particularly the best way they dealt with the rising Tigers (23-1, 11-1).

“They’ve issues that we do not have and loads of groups within the nation do not have who aspire to be there in the future,” she mentioned.

That was apparent from the beginning. South Carolina broke out to an 18-2 lead. LSU reduce issues to 5 a handful of occasions, together with early within the third interval, however couldn’t come any nearer.

Aliyah Boston completed with 14 factors and 9 boards.

The sport, billed as a showcase between reigning AP participant of the 12 months Boston and Angel Reese, shortly develop into a spotlight reel of South Carolina’s expertise, expertise and depth.

Boston and Reese entered this with a mixed 39 double doubles this season. As an alternative, it was the 6-foot-7 backup Cardoso who collected double determine factors and rebounds.

Reese, the 6-foot-3 dominator, could not get going towards the Gamecocks’ withering inside presence, going 5-of-15 capturing for 16 factors and 4 rebounds for her first recreation this season with out double determine boards.

Boston, South Carolina’s profession report holder with 76 video games in double determine factors and rebounds, additionally got here up quick with of that commonplace. Not that it mattered as she twice blocked Reese’s photographs within the third quarter as South Carolina took management for good.

Reese held her palms up, questioning the place the foul was as she sat on the court docket.

Boston was grateful for the eye that led individuals to fill the constructing and tune in on TV. Her staff’s method, although, was easy: “Ehh, it is simply one other recreation,” she mentioned.

LSU reduce a 10-point halftime deficit to 45-40 on Reese’s inside bucket halfway by means of the third quarter. However South Carolina closed the interval on a 19-8 burst completed by Brea Beal’s second 3-pointer.

Her teammates rushed her after time ran out, celebrating like that they had received a title. The Gamecocks certain proved who runs issues this 12 months within the girls’s recreation.

“When you’ve got that sort of dedication, you are going to win video games like this,” Gamecocks coach Daybreak Staley mentioned.

The sold-out crowd was loud and raucous from the bounce and went loopy when Staley, a Philadelphia native, got here out in a traditional Eagles’ Randall Cunningham jersey for her staff’s Tremendous Bowl Sunday heat up with LSU.

The Gamecocks then gave them much more to yell about as they took off on an 18-2 begin the primary six minutes that threatened to run the Tigers out of the constructing. Cooke scored six factors within the surge whereas Brea Beal had a 3-pointer and a three-point play.

Alexis Morris led LSU with 23 factors.

Boston and Cardoso every had three blocks for the Gamecocks.

Notables

• South Carolina’s win towards LSU marked the twenty fifth of the season, leaving the Gamecocks the final remaining undefeated staff within the NCAA.
• The Gamecock offense began off sizzling, opening with a 14-2 run to start out the sport and completed the primary quarter capturing 66.7 % from the sphere. Zia Cooke led the best way with 9 factors of 4-of-6 capturing.
• South Carolina’s protection held LSU’s high scorer Angel Reese to her second-lowest factors of the season and snapped her 23 recreation double-double streak.
• South Carolina’s protection held LSU 22 factors under its season scoring common, permitting simply 35.3 % capturing within the first quarter and 31.3 % within the fourth.
• Kamilla Cardoso put up an SEC career-high 18 factors to steer the staff, happening her personal 8-3 run within the fourth quarter to increase the Gamecocks’ result in 21 with beneath 4 minutes to go. Her 13 rebounds made manner for her fifth double-double of the season, with 9 boards coming in simply the primary half.
• Aliyah Boston scored her eleventh consecutive double-figure recreation of the season, placing up 14 factors and 9 rebounds and cleared the path with three massive time blocks over the Tigers.
• Brea Beal was certainly one of 5 Gamecocks to complete with 10 or extra factors, contributing six in a 12-0 run to start out the primary interval highlighted by a 3 within the center.
• Raven Johnson additionally scored a SEC career-high 10 factors, with six coming within the final three minutes of the sport together with the ultimate jumper with 15 seconds left