No. 1 South Carolina women's basketball vs LSU Tigers: Scouting report, score prediction

COLUMBIA — The game SEC women's basketball fans have waited for all season is here, and the stakes couldn't be higher.

No. 1 South Carolina and No. 2 LSU face off in front of 18,000 fans at a sold-out Colonial Life Arena on Sunday (2 p.m., ESPN). They enter the matchup as the only undefeated teams in Division I, and only one will get to preserve its best start in program history.

The winner will stand alone at the top of the SEC and is almost guaranteed the No. 1-seed in the conference tournament. The game is also important for its two stars, Gamecocks forward Aliyah Boston and Tigers forward Angel Reese, who are in a tight race for National Player of the Year honors.

Here's everything you need to know about the highly anticipated showdown:

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Assessing LSU's schedule

Though they are currently third in the NET rankings, the Tigers have played one of the easiest schedules among top teams in Division I.

The Gamecocks' strength of schedule ranks No. 20 in the country while LSU ranks 114, the lowest of any Power 5 program. The Tigers have yet to play a ranked opponent and only faced one other Power 5 team, Oregon State, during non-conference play. Meanwhile, LSU will be South Carolina's fifth matchup with a team currently in the top 10.

LSU's best win is a 76-68 victory over SEC No. 3 Tennessee, but the Lady Vols have been a major disappointment this season and have yet to beat a ranked team. The Tigers also haven't cruised through the light competition: Four of their last five SEC games have been single-digit wins, including an overtime win at home against Georgia.

It's all about Angel

Maryland transfer Angel Reese has put up absurd stat lines against every opponent this season. She averages 23.5 points per game, which ranks fifth in the nation, and 16.8 rebounds, which ranks second. She also averages 2.3 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.4 blocks.

Reese has dominated for the Tigers, logging a double-double in every game this season. She recorded her 20th consecutive double-double on Jan. 23 to break eight-time WNBA All-Star Sylvia Fowles' program record, and she is the only player in Division I this season to record multiple games with 20-plus points and 20-plus rebounds.

However, Reese isn't the player South Carolina coach Dawn Staley is most worried about. She's keeping an eye on point guard Alexis Morris, the team's No. 2 scorer who averages 14 points, 4.5 assists, 3 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.

Battle for the paint

The two teams in Sunday's matchup are the best rebounding teams in the country. The Gamecocks are No. 2 in total rebounds and offensive rebounds, No. 3 in defensive rebounds and No. 1 in rebounding margin. The Tigers are No. 3 in total rebounds and offensive rebounds, No. 4 in defensive rebounds and No. 2 in rebounding margin.

LSU is one of the only teams that can compete with the Gamecocks' size. While they don't have an exact match for 6-foot-7 Kamilla Cardoso or the 6-5 Boston, Reese and forward LaDazhia Williams are 6-3 and 6-4, respectively.

Both programs also share shooting struggles, especially from 3-point range. The Tigers average 36.5% beyond the arc, while South Carolina averages 30.8%. If they are hesitant to take outside shots, that will add another layer of chaos to what will already be a physical game in the paint.

Prediction

South Carolina 75, LSU 64: After beating UConn in front of 16,000 hostile fans, the sold-out home crowd fuels the Gamecocks to an early lead, and they'll hold it wire-to-wire. Reese still puts up big numbers, but it isn't enough to close the gap against South Carolina's elite post players.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina women's basketball vs. LSU prediction, scouting report