“It’s a rivalry, it really is,” shared Dawn Staley during a pregame segment on the SEC Network. Well, with LSU on an unbeaten run and South Carolina defending their title, Friday’s matchup was rightly one of the most anticipated. And it delivered with an initial back-and-forth, Gamecocks’ late lead, and surprisingly with star players limited to below-average points. The loss was a deja vu for the Tigers, defying their strong momentum yet again. But it wasn’t all to be blamed on the players as per the fans.

During the team’s historic 2022-23 run, LSU dropped their first game at South Carolina. And this season was no different. Despite their 5-0 run in the SEC and having a double-double machine on their side, LSU wasn’t able to return with a win in this showdown.

The game, featuring two powerhouse programs and a sold-out crowd, saw the Gamecocks leveraging their defensive intensity. They were able to force LSU into 17 turnovers and capitalized with 22 points off those mistakes. Furthermore, LSU’s, Aneesah Morrow, consistent with her double-doubles, had an off night with six points and eight rebounds while Flau’Jae Johnson, the team’s leading scorer, had just two points in the second half.

But despite evident shooting woes, managing just 29.9% from the field compared to South Carolina’s 37.1%, the Tigers dominated the boards with 51 rebounds, including 28 offensive rebounds. However, they couldn’t convert those second-chance opportunities effectively. But what really got to the fans was officiating bias against LSU, expressing frustration as the Gamecocks soared to a 66-56 win, despite a few struggles of their own.

Fans call out in support of Kim Mulkey for game within the game

LSU Tiger’s fans were quick to highlight the free-throw disparity, with South Carolina attempting 26 free throws compared to LSU’s nine. Comments like, “These refs are not giving us a damn thing today” and “How’s that not a foul?” flooded social media during and after the game.

While every high-stakes game brings its share of scrutiny, the free-throw differential and crucial fouls on key LSU players fueled the perception of bias. Johnson, who tallied 13 points, picked up her fourth foul with seven minutes left, while Morrow fouled out in the final minute. They would record 5 and 4 each, compared to 3 being team-high for the Gamecocks.

One fan remarked, “Refs swallowing the whistle for LSU. Just look at the first half free throw disparity lol. Didn’t take long to notice it.” For LSU, this loss stings more than just in the standings. While South Carolina celebrates its dominance, LSU is left wondering what could have been had the game been officiated differently. The Tigers had managed to hold their own grounds, limiting the Gamecocks star player, Chloe Kitts to just 7 points and 1-5 from the field in the first face. LSU would also restrict Dawn Staley’s team to mere 1-5 in the paint in the first half.

It was thus a tough pill to swallow for the LSU fans as officiating kept missing the mark. “LSU can’t get the whistle on that same bump?” another observed.

Well, this isn’t the first time Kim Mulkey would have faced poor officiating. In fact, she has criticized officiating in games involving LSU, stating that refs have called too many fouls on LSU players and that it has been unfair. One seemed on board with that. “The refs always go against lsu,” a post read.

Mulkey hasn’t addressed the issue this time, instead focusing on the team’s need for growth. Seems like the Tigers are only looking for the takeaways from the game.