Jermaine Couisnard scored a career-high 33 points and South Carolina overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to hold off LSU 77-75 on Saturday afternoon in Columbia, S.C.
Erik Stevenson added 15 points and Devin Carter scored 10 for the Gamecocks (16-10, 7-7 SEC), who won their third straight game.
Tari Eason had 21 points and 10 rebounds and Darius Days scored 18 to lead the Tigers (19-8, 7-7), who saw their three-game winning streak end.
LSU held a one-point lead before Carter made two free throws and Stevenson hit a layup to give the Gamecocks a 76-73 lead with 1:38 left.
Eric Gaines made two free throws to pull the Tigers within a point with 34.8 seconds left.
Carter missed two free throws with 20.4 seconds left and LSU called timeout.
Xavier Pinson dribbled and penetrated before passing back to Days, who missed a 3-pointer from the corner.
Keyshawn Bryant made one of two free throws to create a two-point lead with 1.5 seconds left and after a timeout Stevenson stole Eason’s three-quarters-court inbounds pass.
South Carolina started the second half with a 6-2 run that trimmed LSU’s lead to 44-42.
Mwani Wilkinson and Days scored five points each as LSU rebuilt the lead to 11 before the Gamecocks made another push. They scored eight straight points before Eason responded with four in a row.
Couisnard made two 3-pointers and Carter made one to pull South Carolina even at 64 with just over nine minutes remaining.
Pinson made a free throw to break the tie and Days added a layup before the Gamecocks scored four straight for a 68-67 lead.
The Tigers scored the next four points before Couisnard made four straight free throws to put South Carolina back up 72-71.
Days made a 3-pointer and Eason scored five points during a 12-0 run that gave LSU an early 21-7 lead.
Days answered with a 3-pointer before Couisnard scored seven straight to get South Carolina within 28-23.
LSU rebuilt the lead to 10 twice before the Gamecocks got as close as four points. Eason’s layup gave the Tigers a 42-36 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media
