TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The LSU basketball team worked its way back from a 14-point deficit in the second half only to come up shy of host Florida State 89-87 in the team’s final exhibition game Saturday at FSU’s Tucker Civic Center.
The Tigers, who were 2-1 in exhibition play, rallied to tie the game at 73-all with 3:17 to play.
FSU was able to get a 79-73 advantage with 2:06 to play, but Donovan Dent made two free throws and after a Seminole miss, Skyy Clark, who had seven made threes in the game, hit one from the corner to make the FSU lead just one, 79-78, with 1:30 to play.
The Seminoles were able to get points at the line and built an 85-78 advantage with 50 seconds to play, but as time wound down, Clark hit two more threes and Dent added a bucket to make it 88-86 with seven seconds to play.
FSU made one free throw and then began fouling LSU with fouls to give. The second time they tried it, the referees ruled it an intentional foul, giving LSU two free throws and the ball with just over two seconds to play.
LSU made one-of-the-two to make it 89-87, but LSU was unable to do anything on the inbounds to close the final margin.
Dent finished the game with 24 points and nine assists, while Clark had 21 points and three assists. Abdi Bashir Jr. scored 13 points.
.LSU shot 50% (32-of-64) and 15-of-35 from 3-point range (42.9%). The Tigers made eight of 15 free throw attempts (53.3 percent). Florida State made 42.3% of their attempts in the fast-paced game (32-of-74) with 11 made three-pointers and 14-of-17 from the line.
LSU played eight players with Saliou Niang, Brice Dessert and Clark all getting starts in their first exhibition action with the Tigers.
The Tigers will open the 2027 regular season on Nov. 3 against LSU New Orleans at 7 p.m. at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
