LSU loses heartbreaker to South Carolina on Valentine's Day, 79-72.

In a hard-fought 79-72 defeat, the No. 6 LSU women’s basketball team saw its hopes slip away in the closing minutes against No. 3 South Carolina on Saturday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The Tigers battled back throughout the game and even cut the deficit to one point late, but key missed free throws down the stretch and South Carolina’s late surge sealed the Gamecocks’ victory. 

LSU was led by Flau’jae Johnson’s 21 points, while South Carolina got 21 from Tessa Johnson and a strong all-around performance from Raven Johnson. The loss continued South Carolina’s dominance in the rivalry, extending its winning streak against LSU to 18 straight games. Despite a spirited effort in front of a packed home crowd, LSU (22-4, 8-4 SEC) couldn’t quite finish in the clutch, leaving the Tigers to look ahead to their next matchup against Ole Miss.