No. 7 South Carolina (18-4, 7-2 SEC) at No. 2 Mississippi State (23-0, 9-0)

Start time: 7 p.m.

TV: ESPN2

Live stream: watchespn.com

Live audio: 107.5 FM (Columbia)

Last game

The Gamecocks were dominated by No. 1 UConn, 83-58, in an astonishing and disappointing performance at home. After a fairly back-and-forth first quarter, the Huskies really poured it on in the second, shooting a blistering 61%, and never looked back. UConn feasted off of Gamecock turnovers, turning them into 23 points, and enjoyed success from behind the arc as well with 11 3-pointers. Bianca Jackson led South Carolina with a career-high 20 points, while A’ja Wilson added 14 points and 16 rebounds for another double-double. Quite simply, it was just one of those games you’ve got to flush and move on.

What to watch for

This is the first time these teams have played since last season’s national championship, and while both squads are missing quite a few players from those rosters, it’s fair to say the Bulldogs have adjusted better to life without them. Teaira McCowan and Victoria Vivians lead State with 19.8 and 19.4 points per game, respectively, and are also the SEC’s top-scoring duo. The 6-foot-7 McCown is also third in the country in rebounding, averaging 13 a game. Morgan William is second in the NCAA is assist/turnover ratio (4.2), which should set up a good battle with SEC assists leader Ty Harris.

The Bulldogs are coming off 57-53 come-from-behind road victory against No. 15 Missouri. With a 9-0 SEC mark, State is atop the SEC standings, and a win by South Carolina would move the Gamecocks into a tie for second with Georgia.