LSU women's basketball lost to South Carolina -- Again.
LSU welcomed South Carolina into the PMAC on Saturday night for a highly anticipated top-six battle. The matchup has become one of the sport's top rivalries in recent years, despite South Carolina's dominance in the series. While the Gamecocks usually win, Kim Mulkey's LSU teams put up a fight.
LSU put up a fight on Saturday, but it wasn't enough, falling 79-72 in front of the home crowd. With the loss, LSU falls to 22-4 on the year. LSU's resume is strong, though it's hard to see the Tigers getting a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament without winning the SEC tournament now.
South Carolina moves to 25-2 and Dawn Staley's Gamecocks are in position to claim the SEC's regular-season conference title.
Flau'Jae Johnson led LSU with 21 points, shooting nine of 18 from the field. MiKaylah Williams added 11 points while Amiya Joyner brought down 13 rebounds.
Here are three takeaways from LSU's loss.
Missed free throws make difference for LSU
Johnson's missed free throws with under a minute remaining could've put the Tigers up by one point. But her misses in that moment were two of many for the purple and gold. LSU went 14 of 23 from the foul line, including three of eight in the final frame.
On the flip side, South Carolina cashed in on its trips to the charity stripe. The Gamecocks made 15 of their 17 foul shots. LSU needed a near-perfect performance in all facets and couldn't take advantage of a foul-heavy game.
South Carolina used size inside
Mulkey couldn't get a bigger lineup on the court to compete with South Carolina's size since Johnson and Williams were needed to defend on the perimeter. The result was a takeover by center Madina Okot. She scored eight of her 12 points in the second half and finished with a double-double, pulling down 17 boards.
LSU led in rebounding out couldn't take advantage of its second chances or fast break opportunities often enough. Joyner gave all she had, finishing with 13 rebounds. Kate Koval played just six minutes.
Mulkey remains winless against South Carolina at LSU
LSU has yet to get over the hump and defeat South Carolina with Mulkey at the helm. Saturday was as entertaining of a game as it could be between two SEC rivals who won three of the four national titles. The Tigers are still winless against the Gamecocks dating back to 2012.
The two sides could meet again, depending on seeding in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: 3 takeaways | LSU women's basketball loses to South Carolina