LSU is 20-0 with one of the best offenses in the country and one of the most vibrant stars in the game. South Carolina is, well, South Carolina. This top-five matchup was pushed back a day due to winter storms plaguing the southeast, but the hype is nevertheless inextinguishable.

How to watch No. 5 LSU at No. 2 South Carolina

Venue: Colonial Life Arena — Columbia, S.C.

Time: 5 p.m. ET Friday

TV: ESPN

Streaming: Fubo (try for free)

Watching in-person? Get tickets on StubHub.

The game will still be on ESPN despite the rescheduling, but the “College Gameday” programming won’t be part of the broadcast. Friday marks the second outing for Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley since her record-setting contract extension. She’s 5-2 lifetime against Tigers coach Kim Mulkey.

South Carolina hasn’t lost to LSU since 2012. It hasn’t dropped a home game since 2020. This dynastic program has two national titles to four total losses across the past four seasons.

This year’s iteration is a bit less top-heavy than the previous teams with Kamilla Cardoso, Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke. No Gamecocks average double-digit shot attempts, while five players score between 9.5 and 12 points per game. They lead the nation in bench points. They don’t do a ton of damage on the perimeter but dominate inside. Chloe Kitts has been fantastic off the glass, leading the team in rebounds and just seventh in minutes played. Joyce Edwards is the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week and a perpetual mismatch around the paint. She dropped 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting in Sunday’s blowout of Oklahoma.

The margins of victory against SEC teams have been just silly — beating No. 5 Texas by 17, blowing out Missouri, Mississippi State and Texas A&M each by more than 30, dominating ranked Oklahoma and Alabama. Friday marks the school’s sixth top-10 opponent of the season.

But LSU can hang here. It certainly touts the lead talent to make it close. Flau’jae Johnson has indeed “Come Out a Beast” in 2025, increasing her volume while maintaining efficiency. She’s one of the shiftiest pure scorers in the sport and looks increasingly confident setting up the jumper. As a result, her playmaking is really opening itself up:

Aneesah Morrow has come on strong in her senior season, leading Division I in rebounding while tallying 3.0 stocks (blocks + steals) per game. LSU is second in the country in total rebounding and ranks third on the offensive glass.

Both teams like to play fast and get inside. These programs have been forging a contentious rivalry as the two most recent national champions. This Friday night matchup has game-of-the-year potential.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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