Elijah Strong scores career-high 30 points, leads South Carolina over LSU 78-68
AP
Jan 06, 2026
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) Elijah Strong scored a career-high 30 points, and South Carolina Gamecocks built a big first-half lead that held off LSU Tigers for a 78-68 victory on Tuesday night.
South Carolina (10-5, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) rebounded from an 83-71 loss to Vanderbilt, while LSU (12-3, 0-2) has lost consecutive games.
The Gamecocks built a 25-point halftime advantage and led by double digits with about nine minutes left when LSU started a 12-3 run to pull to 66-60 with 6:22 remaining. Strong scored the next four points, and the Tigers didn't get closer.
Strong shot 10 of 15 from the floor and made all four of his 3-point attempts. Meechie Johnson made three 3s and finished with 19 points for the Gamecocks. Eli Ellis chipped in with 10 points.
Max Mackinnon scored 15 points for LSU. Pablo Tamba and PJ Carter added 10 points for the Tigers. Mike Nwoko grabbed 13 rebounds to go with six points.
Strong scored 18 points, and Johnson added 15 to help give the Gamecocks a 50-25 halftime lead. Nine LSU players scored in the first half, but none had more than four points as the Tigers shot 29%.
South Carolina: Hosts No. 18 Georgia on Saturday.
LSU: At No. 11 Vanderbilt on Saturday.
--- Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
Copyright 2026 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
1st Half
SCAR
Gamecocks
50
LSU
Tigers
25
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Mike Sharavjamts vs. Mike Nwoko (Pablo Tamba gains possession)
19:48
Mike Nwoko misses two point jump shot
19:46
Elijah Strong defensive rebound
19:27
+3
Elijah Strong makes three point jump shot (Mike Sharavjamts assists)
3-0
18:57
Mike Nwoko misses two point jump shot
18:55
Marquel Sutton offensive rebound
18:49
Max Mackinnon misses three point jump shot
18:47
Mike Nwoko offensive rebound
18:47
Kobe Knox personal foul (Mike Nwoko draws the foul)
18:39
Max Mackinnon misses two point jump shot
18:37
Mike Nwoko offensive rebound
18:37
Jump ball. Mike Nwoko vs. Elijah Strong (Elijah Strong gains possession)
18:37
Mike Nwoko turnover (lost ball) (Elijah Strong steals)
18:28
Max Mackinnon personal foul (Kobe Knox draws the foul)
18:24
Mike Nwoko shooting foul (Elijah Strong draws the foul)
18:24
+1
Elijah Strong makes regular free throw 1 of 2
4-0
18:24
+1
Elijah Strong makes regular free throw 2 of 2
5-0
18:06
Max Mackinnon misses three point jump shot
18:04
Marquel Sutton offensive rebound
18:04
Marquel Sutton misses two point layup
18:02
Gamecocks defensive rebound
17:41
+2
Kobe Knox makes two point layup
7-0
17:14
Max Mackinnon turnover (lost ball)
16:59
+3
Elijah Strong makes three point jump shot (Kobe Knox assists)
10-0
16:59
Tigers 30 second timeout
16:30
Mike Nwoko misses two point dunk
16:28
Mike Nwoko offensive rebound
16:24
+3
Max Mackinnon makes three point jump shot (Mike Nwoko assists)
10-3
16:10
+3
Elijah Strong makes three point jump shot (Meechie Johnson assists)
13-3
16:07
Jalen Reece misses three point jump shot
16:07
Kobe Knox defensive rebound
16:07
Marquel Sutton shooting foul (Meechie Johnson draws the foul)
16:07
+1
Meechie Johnson makes regular free throw 1 of 2
14-3
16:07
+1
Meechie Johnson makes regular free throw 2 of 2
15-3
15:33
Marquel Sutton misses three point jump shot
15:31
Eli Ellis defensive rebound
15:23
+3
Myles Stute makes three point jump shot (Meechie Johnson assists)
18-3
15:16
+2
Pablo Tamba makes two point layup
18-5
14:58
+3
Elijah Strong makes three point jump shot (Meechie Johnson assists)
21-5
14:40
Pablo Tamba misses two point layup
14:38
Mike Sharavjamts defensive rebound
14:38
Pablo Tamba personal foul (Mike Sharavjamts draws the foul)
14:38
TV timeout
14:16
+3
Eli Ellis makes three point jump shot (Myles Stute assists)
24-5
14:04
Myles Stute personal foul (Pablo Tamba draws the foul)
13:55
+3
Rashad King makes three point jump shot (Jalen Reece assists)
24-8
13:30
+2
Meechie Johnson makes two point jump shot
26-8
13:13
Rashad King misses three point jump shot
13:11
Mike Sharavjamts defensive rebound
12:51
Jalen Reece personal foul (Myles Stute draws the foul)
12:45
+2
Eli Ellis makes two point jump shot
28-8
12:14
+2
Robert Miller III makes two point jump shot
28-10
11:49
Hayden Assemian misses two point layup
11:47
Hayden Assemian offensive rebound
11:45
Robert Miller III blocks Hayden Assemian's two point layup
11:43
Gamecocks offensive rebound
11:43
TV timeout
11:31
Elijah Strong misses two point layup
11:29
Robert Miller III defensive rebound
11:20
Robert Miller III turnover (bad pass) (Eli Ellis steals)
11:09
+2
Mike Sharavjamts makes two point layup (Eli Ellis assists)
30-10
11:03
Kobe Knox personal foul (Marquel Sutton draws the foul)
11:01
Grant Polk personal foul (Max Mackinnon draws the foul)
10:48
Grant Polk personal foul (Marquel Sutton draws the foul)
10:45
Max Mackinnon misses two point jump shot
10:43
Myles Stute defensive rebound
10:37
Elijah Strong misses two point jump shot
10:35
Gamecocks offensive rebound
10:29
Eli Ellis misses two point jump shot
10:27
Pablo Tamba defensive rebound
10:17
Rashad King offensive foul (Myles Stute draws the foul)
10:17
Rashad King turnover (offensive foul)
9:49
Grant Polk misses three point jump shot
9:47
Mike Nwoko defensive rebound
9:26
Jalen Reece misses two point jump shot
9:24
Elijah Strong defensive rebound
9:05
+3
Grant Polk makes three point jump shot (Elijah Strong assists)
33-10
8:54
Max Mackinnon misses three point jump shot
8:52
Eli Ellis defensive rebound
8:45
+2
Elijah Strong makes two point layup
35-10
8:45
Tigers 30 second timeout
8:35
Marquel Sutton turnover (bad pass) (Meechie Johnson steals)
8:25
Eli Ellis misses three point jump shot
8:23
Mike Nwoko defensive rebound
8:17
+2
Jalen Reece makes two point layup
35-12
7:57
Rashad King shooting foul (Meechie Johnson draws the foul)
7:57
TV timeout
7:57
+1
Meechie Johnson makes regular free throw 1 of 2
36-12
7:57
+1
Meechie Johnson makes regular free throw 2 of 2
37-12
7:41
Hayden Assemian personal foul (Mike Nwoko draws the foul)
7:27
PJ Carter misses three point jump shot
7:25
Mike Nwoko offensive rebound
7:19
+2
Mike Nwoko makes two point layup
37-14
7:00
Eli Ellis misses three point jump shot
6:58
PJ Carter defensive rebound
6:45
Jalen Reece turnover (bad pass) (Eli Ellis steals)
6:21
Eli Ellis misses two point jump shot
6:19
Tigers defensive rebound
6:04
Mike Sharavjamts blocks Marquel Sutton's two point layup
6:02
Mike Sharavjamts defensive rebound
5:52
Mike Sharavjamts misses two point layup
5:50
Hayden Assemian offensive rebound
5:45
+3
Meechie Johnson makes three point jump shot (Hayden Assemian assists)
40-14
5:32
Hayden Assemian shooting foul (Pablo Tamba draws the foul)
