Cats beat buzzer, LSU in heartbreaker

By Hunt Palmer

THE STORY

LSU is finding new ways to lose. Wednesday night’s way was the toughest on recent record.

With 1.4 seconds to play and trailing by one, Kentucky fired a pass the length of the floor, and freshman Malachi Moreno caught it and splashed a free throw line jumper as the Marvich Center horn sounded.

Kentucky 74, LSU 73.

Seconds earlier, Pablo Tamba missed a pair of free throws that could have given LSU a cushion. The Wildcats fought back from down as many as 18 early in the second half. It was a flurry of threes that closed the margin.

Kentucky finished the second half 8-of-11 from downtown and outscored LSU 53-36 after halftime to storm back and steal one. The 50-point halves are killing LSU. It’s now happened in three of four SEC games.

For 20 minutes, about everything went LSU’s way.

Kentucky had no rhythm early, and LSU’s defense stifled the Wildcats into a 1-for-13 start that swelled to 3-for-19. LSU played patiently on the offensive end and built a lead slowly.

A 12-0 Tiger burst made the lead 15 at 18-3 with 11:25 to play before halftime. That lead remained double digits for all but 28 seconds of the first stanza.

LSU got what it needed from the majority of its role players. The Tigers outside of Max Mackinnon and Mike Nwoko shot 18-for-29 for 62 percent. They scored 55 points.

Mackinnon struggled from the floor, just 4-for-16. Nwoko only scored three points on 1-for-2 shooting. To his credit, Mackinnon battled.

Following a shot clock violation on Kentucky that came on a review of Otega Oweh’s elbow jumper that appeared to give the Wildcats a two-point lead, Mackinnon got to the foul line with 17 ticks remaining and buried the two freebies to give the Tigers a two-point lead.

Oweh was fouled on the other end with four seconds left and missed the second to keep LSU in the lead. LSU rebounded and Tamba went to the line where he missed them both.

The Tigers lost a brutal battle in College Station with a pair of late turnovers. South Carolina got up 30 in the Maravich Center only to have the LSU claw all the way back to within six with six minutes left. It wasn’t enough. Vanderbilt overmatched the Tigers in Nashville.

This is another level of hurt.

LSU finds itself 0-4 in league play and will be 20 days removed from a win when Missouri comes to the Baton Rouge Saturday.

With a pair of tough road games coming, it becomes a must win.

THE STATS

Kentucky shooting: First Half- 26.7%; Second Half- 65%

LSU shot 19/28 on FTs for 68%

Marquel Sutton: 5/9 FG, 3/4 3 pt, 3/4 FT, 16 pts, 6 rebs

Otega Oweh (UK): 6/13 FG, 3/6 3 pt, 21 pts

LSU was 5-for-15 on layups

LSU led 35:38 and trailed for 1:10

THE QUOTES

Kentucky coach Mark Pope on the final play…

“We were going to try to get Otega a catch with maybe a dribble. I told Malachi (Moreno) it’s a long pass. Normally, Kam (Williams) is the guy we have throwing that pass, but he was sitting on the bench with fouls. Collin Chandler said, “I got it.” We drew it up and had a crossing pattern at the top as a default. We were trying to get Otega a shot. As we walked out the timeout, I grabbed Malachi and told him that if we overthrow this, to catch it and shoot it. To Malachi’s credit he owned his shot, and it was brilliant. It was a fun moment for him and a huge lift for us. I’m proud of the guys for making it work.”

LSU forward Marquel Sutton on getting over this loss…

“We can’t change the past, so we just have to come out Saturday like we did in the first half today. We have to play like that in both halves.”