Tigers edge USC in overtime to snap skid

Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

By Hunt Palmer

THE STORY

A flurry of free throws and a timely three were enough.

LSU ended a three-game losing streak, beating South Carolina, 92-87, in overtime Saturday afternoon in Colonial Life Arena.

The Tigers outscored the Gamecocks 14-9 in overtime, and nine of the 14 points came from the free throw line.

With LSU up one and 25 seconds to play, Pablo Tamba found Max Mackinnon wide open on the right wing, and the Aussie calmly splashed a triple to swell the lead to four. Mike Sharavjamts’s pair of free throws cut it back to two with nine ticks remaining. Rashad King then went 1-for-2 from the line to make it three.

Gamecock guard Meechie Johnson was fouled with five seconds to play and missed the first free throw. He elected to intentionally miss the second but failed to hit the rim. On the ensuing inbound pass, Mackinnon found a streaking Marquel Sutton all alone for a slam to seal the Tiger win.

Both teams misfired on good looks from three with under 40 seconds remaining in regulation. Eli Ellis clanged it off the side of the rim for South Carolina, and with less then 10 seconds left, Rashad King missed wide from the right wing. Johnson’s heave from 3/4 court as time expired was no good.

The win is LSU’s second in nine tries in SEC play.

Playing without starting point guard DJ Thomas, LSU put four starters in double figures, and Mackinnon dished out a season-high eight assists.

Midway through the first half, the Tigers opened up a 13-point lead and looked primed to cruise to a win. It’s never quite that easy for this bunch. The Gamecocks buried five threes in five minutes midway through the second half to take a 59-58 lead. That lead would grow to five on a 9-0 Gamecock run with 7:23 left.

LSU weathered the storm and retook the lead in what became a back-and-forth final five minutes of regulation.