Jordan Wright scored LSU’s final four points as the Tigers erased a 16-point second-half deficit and stunned No. 11 South Carolina 64-63 on Saturday afternoon in Columbia, S.C.
After Ta’Lon Cooper put the Gamecocks ahead 63-60 with 29 seconds left, Wright made a layup to cut South Carolina’s lead to 63-62 with 17 seconds to go.
On the ensuing inbounds pass, LSU’s Tyrell Ward forced a turnover on a held ball with 14 seconds left. Wright was then fouled on a drive to the basket and sank two free throws with five seconds remaining to give the Tigers the lead.
South Carolina’s Jacobi Wright had one final shot, but his 3-pointer from the left corner was off the mark at the horn.
Ward finished with 16 points and had two steals for LSU (13-12, 5-7 Southeastern Conference). Jordan Wright had 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks, while Jalen Reed added 13 points.
The Tigers played with standout guard Jalen Cook, who averages 15.6 points per game, but still managed to break a three-game losing streak.
After their 40-point loss at Auburn on Wednesday night, the Gamecocks (21-5, 9-4) bounced back with a strong first half but slipped in the second half and fell to 13-2 at home.
B.J. Mack totaled 18 points, nine rebounds and three assists, while Collin Murray-Boyles had 13 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Meechie Johnson, South Carolina’s leading scorer entering Saturday, was held scoreless and had four assists.
Down 13-8 in the first half, the Gamecocks awakened and brought the home crowd to life with a 12-0 run in a span of 3:01, creating a 20-13 lead. That run eventually increased to 17-1 until Mike Williams III drilled a 3-pointer at 4:55 to trim LSU’s deficit to 25-17.
Ending the half on a 24-12 run overall, South Carolina led 32-25 at the break as Murray-Boyles led the way with eight points.
In the second half, the Gamecocks started strong in the first 3:02, grabbing a 41-25 advantage after Zachary Davis canned a deep ball, but the Tigers later cut it to 42-37 after seven straight points.
Inside the final five minutes, LSU trimmed its deficit to one point after Ward’s trey with 3:16 remaining. Ward then tied things at 57-all with another trey at 1:24.
–Field Level Media
