LSU rallies from 16 down, stuns No. 11 South Carolina late
Feb 17, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Myles Stute (10) drives past LSU Tigers guard Jordan Wright (6) in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. credits: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports Jordan Wright scored LSU's final four points as the visitors erased a 16-point second-half deficit and stunned No. 11 South Carolina 64-63 Saturday afternoon in Columbia, S.C.
After Ta'lon Cooper put the Gamecocks ahead 63-60 with 28 seconds left, Wright made a layup to cut it to 63-62 with 17 second 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 5 seconds left for 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 for LSU (13-12, 5-7 Southeastern Conference) and had two steals. Jordan Wright had 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. 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. Leading scorer Meechie Johnson 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 3:02, creating a 20-13 lead, while the Tigers missed six straight shots. That run eventually increased to a 17-1 one until Mike Williams III drilled a 3-pointer at 4:55 to trim the deficit to 25-17.
Ending the half on a 21-4 run overall, coach Lamont Paris' team led 32-25 at the halftime break as Murray-Boyles led the way with eight points.
In the second, the Gamecocks started strong in the first 3:02, grabbing a 41-25 advantage after Zachary Davis canned a deep ball, but the Tigers cut it to 44-37 after seven straight points.
Inside the final five minutes, LSU trimmed the deficit to one point after Ward's deep shot with 3:16 remaining. He then tied it 57-all on another trey at 1:24.
—Field Level Media