Game Information

Matchup: No. 3/3 South Carolina Gamecocks (24-2, 10-1 SEC) at No. 6/6 LSU Tigers (22-3, 8-3 SEC)

Date: Saturday, February 14, 2026 (Valentine’s Day)

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

Location: Pete Maravich Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Capacity: 13,215

How to Watch & Listen

Television: ABC (National Broadcast) Likely ABC’s featured team of Ryan Ruocco (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo, and Holly Rowe, per the ESPN week schedule.

Pre-Game Show: ESPN College GameDay at 8:00 p.m. ET (30 minutes before tipoff)

Radio: Available via the Gamecock Radio Network for South Carolina fans and the LSU Sports Radio Network in Louisiana. (Local affiliates carried the feed.)

Streaming: Available via ESPN app and ABC.com with cable/streaming provider login

Expected Starters

South Carolina Gamecocks

Guard: Raven Johnson (Senior)

• Averaging 12.3 PPG vs. ranked opponents on 55.3% shooting
• 5.9 APG vs. ranked teams

Guard: Tessa Johnson (Junior)

• 13.6 PPG overall, 15.1 PPG vs. ranked opponents
• 46.4% from three-point range (5th nationally)

Forward: Joyce Edwards

• 20.4 PPG (15th nationally)
• .606 FG% (8th nationally)
• 22.3 PPG over last four games on 70.2% shooting

Center: Madina Okot (Senior)

• Returned to starting lineup last two games
• Back-to-back double-doubles
• 75.0% FG over last five games.

High-Stakes Rivalry Continues

This matchup marks the fifth consecutive meeting between South Carolina and LSU in which both teams are ranked in the top 10. It also represents the fourth time the programs have faced off on Valentine’s Day, adding another layer of significance to an already heated rivalry.

The Gamecocks enter with an impressive 6-2 record against ranked opponents this season, including a 3-1 mark against top-10 teams. However, this represents their first top-10 road test of the campaign.

Offensive Efficiency Fuels Success

South Carolina leads the SEC in both field goal percentage (.482) and field goal percentage defense (.355) in conference play—a rare double that illustrates their dominance on both ends of the floor.

The Gamecocks have shot at least 50.0 percent in six of their 11 SEC games, including five of their last six outings. Their recent performances against ranked conference opponents have been particularly impressive: they’ve shot over 60.0 percent from the field in their last two such matchups, including over 50.0 percent from three-point range.

Defensively, only three SEC opponents have managed to shoot over 40.0 percent against South Carolina.

Elite Three-Point Shooting, Dominant Paint Play

While South Carolina’s three-point shooting ranks among the nation’s best (.379, 8th in NCAA), their success foundation remains interior dominance. The Gamecocks are outscoring SEC rivals by 17.1 points per game in the paint (40.5-23.5) and ranked opponents by 14.5 points (42.0-27.5). They’ve been outscored in the paint just once this season.

Individual Excellence

Joyce Edwards: Player of the Year Candidate

Edwards has been consistently outstanding, ranking 15th nationally with 20.4 points per game and eighth in field goal percentage at .606. She’s scored at least 20 points in her last four games, averaging 22.3 points on 70.2 percent shooting while distributing 3.8 assists per game during that stretch.

Raven Johnson: The Ranked-Opponent Specialist

Senior point guard Johnson elevates her game against quality competition. Against ranked opponents this season, she’s touched 32.4 percent of South Carolina’s total offense. Her 12.3 points per game against ranked teams have come on 55.3 percent shooting, including 42.9 percent from three-point range. Her assists (5.9 per game) have created another 13.8 points per contest.

Tessa Johnson: Three-Point Sharpshooter

Junior guard Tessa Johnson ranks fifth nationally in three-point percentage at 46.4 percent, including 42.0 percent in SEC play and 51.2 percent against ranked opponents. She’s averaging 13.6 points per game overall and 15.1 per game against ranked teams.

Madina Okot: Double-Double Machine

Senior center Okot has returned to the starting lineup for the last two games, delivering back-to-back double-doubles that moved her to sixth nationally with 15 on the season. Her confidence has resurged over the last five games, during which she shot 75.0 percent from the field while averaging 9.6 points per game.

Statistical Highlights

4.8 – Edwards draws a team-high 4.8 fouls per game this season, consistently putting opponents in foul trouble.

7.8 – Freshman Ayla McDowell has averaged 7.8 points on 51.7 percent shooting over the last five games, providing valuable depth.

.692 – South Carolina’s field goal percentage against Tennessee on Sunday was the second-highest in program history.

Series History

The all-time series favors LSU 22-21, but South Carolina has dominated the Dawn Staley era with an 18-5 record against the Tigers beginning in 2008-09, including 17 consecutive victories. The Gamecocks are 8-12 all-time in Baton Rouge but hold a 7-3 mark under Staley.

Last Meeting

The teams last met on January 24, 2025, in Columbia, with then-No. 2 South Carolina defeating then-No. 5 LSU 66-56. The Gamecocks built their lead during the second and third quarters, holding LSU to just 19 points in the middle 20 minutes and limiting the Tigers to 29.9 percent shooting for the game. South Carolina converted 22 points off 17 LSU turnovers to overcome a 39-51 rebounding disadvantage.

Road Warriors

South Carolina boasts a strong road record of 326-264 (.553) all-time, including an exceptional 152-49 mark (.756) under head coach Dawn Staley—the best road winning percentage in program history. In SEC road games specifically, the Gamecocks are 105-35 (.750) during Staley’s tenure.

Dawn Staley’s Legacy

Now in her 26th season as a head coach, Staley has compiled a .778 winning percentage (671-192), ranking eighth among active coaches nationally and 10th all-time. With three national championships, she ranks fourth among head coaches all-time in NCAA titles.

Staley is one of just two women’s basketball coaches to lead their teams to multiple 40-game win streaks in NCAA history. The Gamecocks’ program-record 43-game streak (2023-24) ranks seventh longest in NCAA history.

She is one of just 11 men’s or women’s basketball coaches all-time to win at least three NCAA National Championships and the first Black head coach to win multiple titles. She’s also one of seven coaches to lead a team to at least four NCAA National Championship games.

Program Transformation

In her 18th season with the Gamecocks, Staley is the program’s all-time winningest coach with 499 victories and a program-record 14 postseason appearances. She accounts for all seven of the program’s Final Four appearances and the only NCAA National Championships in South Carolina history.

Her impact extends beyond the court. The City of Columbia commissioned a statue of Staley in recognition of her leadership both in basketball and the community. The statue stands a short distance from Colonial Life Arena, a permanent testament to her transformative influence on the program and city.

What’s at Stake

Beyond bragging rights and continuing their winning streak against LSU, South Carolina seeks to maintain their position atop the SEC standings while solidifying their case for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. Their first true road test against a top-10 opponent will provide valuable insights into their championship readiness.

For LSU, ending the 17-game losing streak to South Carolina would represent a statement victory and potentially shift momentum in the SEC race. The primetime ABC spotlight ensures the nation will be watching as these two powers collide on Valentine’s Day in Baton Rouge.