The upset that got away: How South Carolina rallied to beat LSU - ESPN

The South Carolina-LSU women's college basketball matchup everyone was looking forward to turned into a down-to-the-wire thriller. But the outcome kept the status quo for the 2023-24 season. The No. 1 Gamecocks overcame a strong effort from the No. 9 Tigers for a 76-70 victory Thursday before a full house at Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Fans arrived early, and there was great anticipation for what coaches Dawn Staley and Kim Mulkey would be wearing. The ESPN College GameDay crew got into the spirit by eagerly shredding a Bayou King Cake in search of the lucky baby.

LSU led by six points after the first quarter and by five at halftime. However, after dominating most of their games this season, the Gamecocks showed their ability to rally, outscoring the Tigers by 10 points in the fourth quarter.

That included two huge 3-pointers in the last three minutes by Gamecock junior guard Bree Hall. They were her only two makes of the game from behind the arc and came at crunch time.

All five starters for both teams scored in double figures. LSU star Angel Reese fouling out with just over four minutes left was a key moment.

The Gamecocks have just one other currently ranked team left on their regular-season schedule: No. 8 UConn on Feb. 11. LSU doesn't have any. It's an odd season in the SEC with just two teams ranked in late January. Will we see a Gamecocks-Tigers rematch in the SEC tournament? Probably. And in the NCAA tournament? Possibly.

We break down the show and what it told us about both teams.

No. 1 South Carolina remains undefeated after finishing strong on the road against No. 9 LSU.

Creme: More than anything, the Gamecocks remained poised. To come back on the road in that environment takes