No. 1 South Carolina and No. 3 LSU will face off in a heavyweight SEC battle at 2 p.m. ET Sunday on ESPN. Ahead of the undefeated matchup, here are some numbers to know.
0 (or 1) — ranked wins for LSU
The Tigers have crushed opponents by a 32.4 average victory margin (second nationwide to, of course, South Carolina), but have faced only one ranked team. And they have no wins against teams currently ranked.
LSU beat then-No. 24 Arkansas 69-45 on Dec. 29. Since then, however, the Razorbacks dropped out of the AP poll with an 18-8 record.
This matchup against the Gamecocks will put the undefeated season to the biggest test. A win could push LSU higher in tournament seeding after the first top-16 rankings revealed by the DI Women’s Basketball Committee had the perfect Tigers only as a No. 2 seed so far.
Meanwhile, the Gamecocks blow by opponents by 33.9 points and have four wins against teams currently ranked — including top-10 Stanford, UConn and Maryland.
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2 — prior undefeated vs. undefeated matchups for South Carolina
In the last 20 years, South Carolina has already twice faced an undefeated opponent while holding a perfect record in February.
Both matchups were against UConn in 2015 and 2016. In both games, the Gamecocks fell short and took their first L. UConn won handily in consecutive years by 25 and 12, respectively.
After each matchup, the Huskies became eventual undefeated national champions — a feat South Carolina is attempting to duplicate.
Those games also took place in February, but neither surpassed the Feb. 12 date that South Carolina gets for its third such meeting.
4 — meetings between Dawn Staley and Kim Mulkey
Staley and Mulkey are among coaches who have won multiple NCAA national championships, but the two have matched up only four times.
They’ve spilt the games 2-2.
Since Mulkey joined the SEC last season, the Gamecocks beat the Tigers 66-60 in the lone meeting. Staley has bested Mulkey against her Baylor squad in a top-five matchup in 2019.
The Bears won the 2019 championship under Mulkey’s tutelage, her most recent title. Mulkey also won in 2005 and 2012. Staley coached the reigning national champions of 2022 and notched her first in 2017.
There are over 1,000 wins between these two iconic coaches, and they’ll face off for the fifth time Sunday.
13 — consecutive South Carolina wins over LSU
The Gamecocks trail in the series 22-17 but have won 13 straight against the Tigers.
The first meeting took place over 30 years ago when the Tigers got the win 62-57 in Baton Rouge.
The Tigers last beat South Carolina on Jan. 12, 2012, 58-48.
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18 — offensive rebounds per game
Both South Carolina (18.6) and LSU (18.1) average just about 18 offensive boards per game. That marker is first and second in the SEC and second and third in the country.
Whoever wins the rebounding will have a great path toward victory. I outlined what it might take to down South Carolina, and keeping the Gamecocks off the offensive glass is a huge step.
In total rebounds, South Carolina (50.4) narrowly pulls down more than the Tigers (49.9). Though both average 31.8 defensive rebounds exactly.
20 — games against No. 1-ranked opponents
LSU has faced the No. 1-ranked team 20 times in its history. In total, the Tigers are 2-17 in those matchups. That’s a stat pointing favorably in the Gamecocks’ direction.
It’s been 15 years since the Tigers won against the top-ranked team. In 2008, LSU upset Tennessee 78-62 as a No. 7 team.
Now, as a third-ranked team breathing down their conference foes' neck, the Tigers will look to tip the scale to 3-17.
23 — consecutive Angel Reese double-doubles
If Aliyah Boston is the double-double queen, Angel Reese is a double-double princess awaiting her coronation.
Last season, Boston set an SEC record of 27 straight double-doubles. So far Reese has 23 consecutive and five regular season games to pass her.
Both have averaged a double-double this season, Boston with 13.3 ppg and 10 rebounds; Reese at 23.5 points and 15.8 rebounds.
Boston will have the chance to save her streak by outdueling Reese, but either way, it’ll be a must-see matchup on the block.
47 — straight wins combined this season
South Carolina and LSU are the only two undefeated teams in all of DI basketball — men's included.
South Carolina comes in at 24-0 and LSU at 23-0. One will walk out as the lone unbeaten team in all of DI college basketball.
