LSU's efficient offense and deadly three-point shooting proved too much for South Carolina on Tuesday night, as the Tigers handed the Gamecocks an 81-67 defeat in Baton Rouge.

The Tigers (14-12, 3-10 SEC) controlled the game from the outset, building a 41-27 halftime advantage behind balanced scoring and 46% shooting from beyond the arc in the first half. LSU's offense stayed hot throughout, finishing with 13 three-pointers from six different players as they shot 50% from the field overall.

Despite trailing by double digits for much of the night, South Carolina (10-16, 0-13 SEC) showed more life in the second half behind Jamari Thomas' career-high 23 points. The Gamecocks managed to cut the deficit to nine points early in the second period when a 6-0 run made it 43-34, but LSU responded immediately with a Curtis Givens III three-pointer.

Cam Carter paced the Tigers with 17 points, while Mike Williams III and Vyctorius Miller added 13 and 12 points respectively. The Tigers' bench provided significant production, outscoring South Carolina's reserves 30-15 while converting Gamecock turnovers into easy baskets throughout the night.

LSU's ability to capitalize on mistakes proved decisive, as they turned 18 South Carolina turnovers into 23 points. The Tigers also dominated in transition, holding a 9-2 advantage in fast break points while consistently finding open shooters on the perimeter.

Collin Murray-Boyles delivered another strong performance for South Carolina with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Arden Conyers added 9 points off the bench on three three-pointers. The Gamecocks actually shot the ball well, hitting 47% from the field and 12-of-15 from the free throw line, but couldn't overcome LSU's advantages in three-point shooting and those oft-plagued points off turnovers.

The Tigers' lead ballooned to as many as 21 points in the second half following a Jordan Sears three-pointer that made it 66-46. Though South Carolina continued to battle, they never seriously threatened down the stretch as LSU maintained a comfortable margin throughout the 2nd half.

South Carolina returns home Saturday night to host Texas at Colonial Life Arena, with tipoff set for 8:30 PM EST. The matchup against the Longhorns (5-8 in the SEC) represents another opportunity for the Gamecocks to break through in conference play, though they'll need a much stronger defensive effort to have a chance at the upset.