GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — With her team trailing by five to No. 3 South Carolina and 45 seconds left, LSU coach Kim Mulkey wanted the Tigers to trap — and then foul if they couldn’t come up with a turnover.
They tried to trap, but it didn’t work.
And the foul never came.
Thirty seconds expired off the clock before center Madina Okot beat the shot clock after a spin move in the low post with 15 seconds left to seal South Carolina’s 83-77 victory, sending the Gamecocks (31-2) into the SEC Tournament championship game Sunday.
“We were supposed to (foul),” a flabbergasted Mulkey said. “We had two fouls to give (before being in the bonus). It was not the decision. I can tell you, we were going to go trap and foul. We didn’t do it.”
Mulkey called it a mental lapse by her players, one that will serve as a learning experience moving forward.
“I don’t want to say lose our composure, but we just don’t do it,” Mulkey said. “So that’s why you stay in a locker room tonight (and ask) ‘You guys that were on that floor, tell me why we didn’t do that, OK?'”
Mulkey said it's those type of mistakes that separates good teams from elite teams.
“There's just a small margin of error that you can have to beat elite teams,” Mulkey said. “We think we’re an elite team, but we’re not going to win those close games against the South Carolinas, the UConns like that.”
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, who needed to use a timeout during that 30-second stretch after the ball got stuck in the corner, said she was surprised LSU never fouled.
“For us, the more and more time ticked off it favored us so I was in favor of them playing it that way,” Staley said.
The Gamecocks made 12 of 15 free throws at that point in the game.
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South Carolina center Madina Okot shoots over LSU forward Amiya Joyner during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament, Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
LSU head coach Kim Mulkey watches during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against South Carolina in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament, Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
LSU head coach Kim Mulkey reacts during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against South Carolina in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament, Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Minkah Fitzpatrick is coming home and filling a major need for the New York Jets.
The three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl safety and New Jersey native is being acquired by the Jets from the Miami Dolphins, two people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Monday. One of the people said New York will sign Fitzpatrick to a three-year, $40 million contract extension.
The Jets will send a seventh-round pick in this year's draft to the Dolphins in the deal, according to the people who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the trade can’t become official until the start of the NFL’s new league year on Wednesday.
The deal, first reported by ESPN, should immediately help the Jets, who became the first team in NFL history to go an entire season without an interception.
The 29-year-old Fitzpatrick, who had one year left on his contract with the Dolphins worth a non-guaranteed $15.6 million, was born in Old Bridge, New Jersey, and went to high school in Jersey City — about 25 miles from the Jets' training facility in Florham Park and less than 10 from MetLife Stadium, his new playing home.
It's the second major trade this offseason for the Jets, who are looking to upgrade their defense in coach Aaron Glenn's second season. New York acquired nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat from Tennessee for edge rusher Jermaine Johnson last month.
Glenn fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks with three games left in the season and hired Brian Duker in January to oversee the defense, but he said he would call the plays this coming season. Duker and new safeties coach Ryan Slowik both came from Miami's staff and have familiarity with Fitzpatrick.
Safety was an area the Jets were expected to address in free agency, with Malachi Moore — who was solid in 14 starts as a rookie — the only player on the roster with significant playing time. Andre Cisco and Tony Adams, both of whom have been starters, are set to be free agents.
Fitzpatrick has 21 career interceptions, although he had only one in 14 games this past season for the Dolphins.
The deal comes on a day Miami announced it is moving on from Tua Tagovailoa as its quarterback. The team announced that Tagovailoa, who has been the main starter for the last 5 1/2 seasons, would be released.
Fitzpatrick was the 11th overall pick by the Dolphins in 2018 out of Alabama, where he helped the Crimson Tide win two national titles. He was traded by Miami two games into his second season to Pittsburgh, where he became one of the top players in the league at his position.
Fitzpatrick spent most of six seasons with the Steelers, making the All-Pro team three times while picking off 18 passes during that time. He became the NFL's highest-paid safety in 2022, when he signed a four-year, $73.6 million extension with the Steelers.
Fitzpatrick was traded back to the Dolphins last June in a blockbuster deal, going to Miami along with a 2027 fifth-round pick for cornerback Jalen Ramsey, tight end Jonnu Smith and a 2027 seventh-rounder.
AP Sports Writers Tim Reynolds and Alanis Thames contributed to this report.
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FILE - Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick runs onto the field during player introductions before an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Nov. 9, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Doug Murray)
