HOUSTON — Torris Bright hit a six-foot leaner in the paint with 0.7 seconds remaining in regulation to break a 59-59 tie and give LSU a 61-59 road win over Houston on Tuesday night in Houston.
The victory was the Tigers’ first in a non-conference opponent’s home arena since LSU defeated Maryland, 79-77, on Jan. 2, 1989.
Lamont Roland led the Tigers (3-0) with 24 points, 12 in each half, against his former coach at Ball State. Roland scored his 23rd point on a three-pointer from the top of the key to tie the game at 56-56 with 1:50 remaining. Then, he earn No. 24 at the free throw line to take a 57-56 lead at the 1:28 mark.
Houston (2-3) took a 59-57 lead on a jumper by Bernard Smith with 1:09 left and a free throw by Chad Hendrick with 35 seconds remaining.
Brian Beshara then scored his first basket of the game with 21 seconds to play on a driving eight-footer in the lane to tie the game at 59-59. Beshara finished the game 1-of-9 from the floor
Bright, a sophomore from Slidell, La., then won the game with his second basket in four attempts in the game. Bright finished with four points, three rebounds, three steals, three assists and five turnovers in 28 minutes.
LSU’s five starters along with Jermaine Williams were the only Tigers to score in the game, as Ronald Dupree poured in 18 points and added 13 rebounds while Collis Temple III scored 11. Williams had two points on 1-of-5 shooting in 18 minutes. He added three steals and four rebounds.
LSU returns to action on Dec. 9 when it takes on Texas Southern at 7 p.m. in the Maravich Assembly Center.