NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Alaina Coates had 16 points to help No. 3 South Carolina rally in the second half and reach its first Southeastern Conference Tournament championship game with a 74-54 win over LSU on Saturday.
The top-seeded Gamecocks (29-2) trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half, but they were 18 of 23 (78.3 percent) from the field in the second while winning their first SEC tournament semifinal game in three chances.
Tina Roy added 15 points for South Carolina, which was upset as the top seed by Kentucky in the tournament semifinals last season.
The Gamecocks will face the Kentucky-Tennessee winner in the championship game on Sunday.
Raigyne Moncrief had 20 points to lead the Lady Tigers (17-13), while Dashawn Harden added 19 – including 17 in the first half. LSU was trying to reach its first tournament championship game since 2012.
