South Carolina women’s basketball: Raven Johnson outduels MiLaysia Fulwiley and the Gamecocks advance to the SEC title game

South Carolina and LSU added another epic chapter to their rivalry at the SEC tournament semifinal on Saturday, but for the 19th consecutive time, the Gamecocks emerged victorious with a final score of 83-77.

Former teammates Raven Johnson and MiLaysia Fulwiley went back and forth all game. Fulwiley, the 2024 SEC Tournament MVP for the Gamecocks, scored 24 points to match her total from that season’s championship game, when she led South Carolina over LSU.

Raven Johnson scored a career-high 22 points, along with eight assists and three rebounds. She tied her career-high with four three-pointers. 

Fittingly, the game was basically decided by a two-play sequence from Johnson and Fulwiley. 

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Johnson hit Madina Okot on a pick and roll for a layup to put South Carolina up 79-72 with 1:31 left. Fulwiley raced the other way and threw the ball away, ending LSU’s last real chance.

“I’m thinking about winning,” Johnson said. “Whatever it takes to win. If I got to defend, if I got to score, whatever it takes. If I’ve got to rebound, that’s what I’ll do. I’m just thinking about winning.”

“She’s the head of our snake. Once she has that look on her face, like I’m willing to do whatever I can to put our team on my back to leadus to the finish line and get us to that win,” Maryam Dauda said. “We just have to follow when she’s doing that.”

LSU led 40-36 at halftime, just the second time this season that South Carolina has trailed at the break. 

“At halftime, I thought we should be down by 10, 12 points the way we were playing,” Staley said. “I just thought we just held on until we could get to halftime, talk about things. I felt good. I felt our players were right there. When we came out in the third quarter, we made a run, took the lead. Then it was back and forth. But I thought our kids were really resilient.”

Joyce Edwards scored the first five points of the third quarter to put the Gamecocks back in front, and they outscored LSU 10-2 in the first five minutes of the half.

Raven Johnson scored a bucket over MiLaysia Fulwiley at the third quarter buzzer to put South Carolina up 59-54. Maryam Dauda added a short jumper at the beginning of the fourth quarter to give South Carolina a seven-point lead, tying its largest of the game up to that point. 

“(Raven Johnson’s) seasoned. She’s a veteran at this. So she really understands, this is her fifth year doing this. I mean, she’s played at a high level. She’s been to Final Fours every year of her career,” Staley said. “Every year. I think she’s really understanding where she can really benefit from being a scoring threat out there.”

LSU answered with a 6-0 run, and after a pair of free throws by Joyce Edwards, Fulwiley got a sliver of space behind the arc and tied the game at 63.

Edwards and Madina Okot scored six straight points to break the tie. South Carolina would go up by as many as eight was able to hold off LSU.

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Ta’Niya Latson scored 10 of her 19 points in the first quarter to get the Gamecocks off to a strong start. 

“I’ve been real patient this year,” Latson said. “I came here to play with other great players. Playing with a point guard like Raven just making myself better and coming to play under Coach Staley, just to be a better two-way player. I want to improve my defense and be more than a scorer. I want to facilitate, play make. I feel like I’ve been able to do that.”

Raven Johnson dominated the second and third quarters, and then Edwards took over in the fourth. Edwards finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds, with 10 points coming in the fourth quarter alone.

Jada Richard finished with 17 points for LSU. Mikaylah Williams had 11. 

Notes:

Former Gamecock quarterback Connor Shaw sat courtside across from the South Carolina bench. … Adhel Tac missed her eighth consecutive game. … Ayla McDowell and Alicia Tournebize did not play. … South Carolina now has 19 consecutive wins over LSU and 19 consecutive wins at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. … Tessa Johnson had 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists. … FLau’jae Johnson was held to six points and five assists. … South Carolina was plus-five in turnovers and plus-eight in points off turnovers. … Dawn Staley’s outfit: Staley wore a gray Marque L.Vuitton Déposée sweatshirt. … South Carolina’s next game is on Sunday against the winner of the Texas-Ole Miss game.