(Photo Credit: @LSUBasketball on X)
By Matt Moscona
A furious second half rally for LSU forced overtime–and another, and another–but the Tigers outlasted UCF Sunday at the Greenbriar Tip-Off, 109-102.
A thunderous dunk by LSU freshman Vyctorius Miller, followed by a circus layup, gave LSU a seven-point lead in the third overtime. He would finish with 16 points off the bench.
Jordan Sears led LSU with 25 points. Jalen Reed added a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds.
Darius Johnson scored 25 points to lead UCF. He was one of three Knights to eclipse to 20-point mark.
Both teams would make a pair of three-pointers in the second overtime before Sears converted an and-one to put LSU up 91-88. A Keyshawn Hall layup would send the game to a third overtime.
The Tigers nearly ended it in thef first overtime. Sears found Cam Carter for a three to give LSU the 76-75 lead, their first since 15-14 in the first half. Sears would add a three of his own, to push the LSU lead to four.
Jordan Ivy-Curry knocked down a three with 24 seconds left to cut the LSU lead to one. Carter would split a pair of free throws, giving UCF one final shot. Corey Chest foulded out, sending Keyshawn Hall to the line, who would make both foul shots. Sears missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer, forcing the decisive extra period.
It took a dramatic finish for LSU to force overtime. With the Tigers trailing by two with less than a minute to play, Chest gathered a steal and dished to Cam Carter on a fast break. A goaltending call was overturned, but Carter sunk both free throws to tie the game for the first time since the 12:03 mark of the first half.
Ivy-Curry missed a jumper at the buzzer to send the game to the extra period.
Despite both teams struggling from the floor early, LSU jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a three-pointer by Carter.
UCF would take a 17-15 lead, its first of the game, after a Sears turnover led to a transition dunk by Rokas Jocius.
The Tigers went scoreless for two different five-minute stretches, broken up by Dji Bailey’s first triple of the season. The Knights used a 25-3 extended run to build their lead to as much as 20.
A Miller layup ended the second drought. He followed that with a three-pointer to pull LSU within 13 with 24 seconds to play in the first half. The Tigers defense would lapse again as UCF would get an easy bucket before the horn to take a 40-25 lead into halftime.
The UCF defense was too much for LSU in the first 20 minutes with five blocks, forcing eight turnovers and holding the Tigers to 25 percent from the floor.
Things didn’t improve early in the second half. The Tigers made just one of their first five field goals.
UCF collected their seventh team foul at the 13:10 mark, putting LSU at the line the remainder of the way. Reed would sink both free throws to cut the deficit to 49-34. Darius Johnson would have the immediate answer, sinking his fourth three-pointer of the game.
The Tigers would surge with a 12-2 push. Another pair of free throws by Reed and a steal by Miller leading to a three-point play drew the Tigers within 11. Curtis Givens added a triple and a layup to pull the Tigers within 54-46, prompting a Knights timeout at the 10:28 mark.
The breather worked as UCF would build its lead back to a dozen at the under eight time out.
The Tigers would heat up down the stretch with Sears connecting on three consecutive three-pointers to cut the deficit to five.
After a Reed layup got LSU within four, Johnson countered with a layup of his own. Chest grabbed an offesnive rebound and followed with a monster dunk to make it 70-66. Carter drilled a contested jumper to pull LSU within two, setting up the dramatic final sequence.
The Tigers return home Friday against Northwestern State.
