MiLaysia Fulwiley made four 3-pointers and scored 24 points and No. 1 South Carolina defeated No. 8 LSU 79-72 on Sunday afternoon to win the Southeastern Conference championship game at Greenville, S.C.
Te-Hina Paopao added 12 points and Ashlyn Watkins blocked five shots for the top-seeded Gamecocks (32-0), who prevailed in a contest marred by a late-game clearing of the benches.
South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso was ejected for shoving LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson to the court during the skirmish with 2:08 left in the game. The incident delayed the contest for approximately 20 minutes. The Gamecocks finished the game with six players, and LSU had just five as several players on both teams were ejected for leaving the bench.
“I just want to apologize to the basketball community,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said on the ESPN broadcast. “When you’re playing in championship games like this, in our league, things get heated. No bad intentions. Their emotions were so far ahead of them that sometimes these things happen.
“So I want to apologize for us playing a part in that. That’s not who we are, and that’s not what we are about.”
Aneesah Morrow had 19 points, 10 rebounds and four steals for the second-seeded Tigers (28-5). Angel Reese had 15 points and 13 rebounds, Hailey Van Lith scored 14 points and Johnson had 13.
LSU played without Last-Tear Poa, who fell hard to the floor and sustained a concussion during Saturday’s victory over Ole Miss. Poa was released from the hospital Sunday and watched the contest from the team hotel.
The Tigers trailed by 10 in the final stanza before going on an 11-2 run to move within 67-66 on two free throws by Johnson with 4:36 left in the game.
South Carolina answered with a basket by Raven Johnson and two straight hoops by Bree Hall to take a seven-point lead with 2:19 to play.
A short time later, Fulwiley stole the ball and was fouled hard by Flau’jae Johnson with 2:08 left. Tensions were high near midcourt and Cardoso shoved Johnson to the floor, earning an ejection.
After the disqualifications were sorted out, the contest was finished without further incident.
LSU coach Kim Mulkey addressed the situation during her postgame news conference.
“No one wants to be a part of that. Nobody wants to see that ugliness,” Mulkey said. “But I can tell you this — I wish she would have pushed Angel Reese. You’re 6-8, don’t push somebody that little. That was uncalled for in my opinion. Let those two girls who were jawing, let them go at it.”
The Gamecocks opened the third quarter with a 10-1 run and took a 46-33 lead on two free throws by Chloe Kitts.
LSU answered with seven straight points to move within six, but South Carolina again led by 13 after Fulwiley’s basket with 2:55 left in the period.
The Tigers then rattled off the next nine points, with Morrow’s layup allowing them to pull within 57-53 with 1:13 left.
Raven Johnson’s basket gave South Carolina a six-point edge entering the fourth quarter.
Watkins’ jumper gave the Gamecocks a 65-55 lead with 7:45 remaining.
South Carolina led 36-32 at the half. Fulwiley scored 10 in the half for South Carolina. Morrow had 11 points in the half for the Tigers.
–Field Level Media
