No. 12 LSU earns 1st SEC win after beating Georgia

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Flau’jae Johnson scored 15 of her 25 points in the fourth quarter, MiLaysia Fulwiley scored 18 points, and No. 12 LSU beat Georgia 80-59 on Thursday night.

LSU (14-2, 1-2 SEC) started 0-2 in conference play for the first time since the 2010-11 season. The Tigers lost the conference opener to then-No. 11 Kentucky 80-78 after Tonie Morgan's buzzer-beating 3-pointer on New Year's Day and then 65-61 at then-No. 12 Vanderbilt on Sunday.

Georgia (15-2, 1-2) had its best start to a season since the 2009-10 team won its first 16 games on its way to an 18-1 start and a trip to the Sweet 16.

Dani Carnegie, a Georgia Tech transfer, led the Lady Bulldogs with 24 points, Trinity Turner scored 11 and Rylie Theuerkauf finished with seven points. The trio combined to make 14 of 51 (27%) from the field.

Johnson scored six consecutive points in a 10-1 run to open the fourth quarter that gave the Tigers a 17-point lead with 7:20 to play.

LSU is 29-27 in the series that dates to 1982 and has won eight straight against Georgia.

Johnson made a layup about midway through the third quarter that made the senior the ninth player in history to score at least 1,800 points for LSU. Johnson has 1,816 career points.

The Lady Bulldogs shot 35% from the field and made just 1 of 14 from behind the arc in the first half, and trailed 38-28 at the intermission.

Amiyah Joyner had 12 points and 11 rebounds — her fifth double-double this season — and ZaKiyah Johnson also scored 12 points for LSU.

Up next

LSU: Hosts No. 2 Texas on Sunday.

Georgia: Visits No. 3 South Carolina on Sunday.

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