Michael Nwoko scored 21 points, Max Mackinnon made a crucial 3-pointer late in overtime and LSU held off South Carolina 92-87 in Southeastern Conference play on Saturday in Columbia, S.C.
Rashad King scored 18, Marquel Sutton had 16 and McKinnon finished with 15 for the Tigers (14-8, 2-7 SEC). Dedan Thomas Jr., who leads LSU in scoring (15.3 ppg) and the SEC in assists (6.5 apg), did not play. He had appeared in the last three games after missing the first five SEC games due to a lower-leg injury.
Meechie Johnson scored 21 points, Kobe Knox had 15, Eli Ellis scored 14, Elijah Strong had 12 and Mike Sharavjamts finished with 11 points and a team-high six rebounds for the Gamecocks (11-11, 2-7), who defeated the host Tigers 78-68 on Jan. 6.
LSU made seven free throws and South Carolina made four to start the scoring in overtime before Johnson’s jumper trimmed the Tigers’ lead to 85-84. Each team made a free throw before Mackinnon made his 3-pointer with 21 seconds left. LSU’s first field goal in the extra period produced an 89-85 lead and the Tigers held on.
LSU never trailed in the first half and led by as many as 13 points before South Carolina finished with a 7-0 run to get within 36-35 at halftime.
Nwoko made a jumper and Sutton added two free throws to start the second-half scoring and increase LSU’s lead to 40-35. The Tigers led by six before 3-pointers by Myles Stute and Johnson helped South Carolina pull even and Grant Polk’s tip-in gave the Gamecocks their first lead of the game, 49-47, at the 15:08 mark.
Ellis’ 3-pointer pushed the lead to five points before Nwoko made three field goals to put LSU back on top, 58-56. The lead changed hands three more times and Knox made two baskets to give South Carolina a 70-65 lead.
King scored seven straight points for the Tigers to give them a 74-73 lead with 3:50 to play. The score was tied twice before Strong’s field goal gave the Gamecocks a 78-76 edge. Nwoko made a layup to tie the score, then each team misfired on its last two possessions in regulation to send the game to overtime.
–Field Level Media
