AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn’s Nathan Watson nailed a three-pointer from some 22-feet with 4.1 seconds remaining to spoil LSU’s best road defensive effort of the season, 56-54, before 9,149 at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum here Saturday.
The LSU Tigers had a chance to steal the win, nursing a 54-53 lead after a
Jaime Lloreda lay up with 3:07 to go in the game, the last points either team would score into the winning three-pointer by Auburn.
LSU had the opportunities to extend the lead, but couldn’t convert and Auburn wasn’t making anything on their end either. Brandon Robinson fouled Jaime Lloreda on a rebound of a missed shot with 18 seconds remaining, sending the junior to the line for a one-and-one. Lloreda missed the free throw and auburn rebounded calling time out with 12 seconds to play, setting up the winning shot.
After the Auburn trey, LSU called its final time out. The Tigers brought the ball up court swung a pass to the right wing to Antonio Hudson, but his long-range jumper was short as the horn sound and the shot may have been partially blocked by an Auburn player streaking at the sophomore guard.
The Tigers, now 13-8 and 2-7 in the SEC had 17 points and seven rebounds to lead LSU as the only player in double figures. LSU shot a respectable 23-of-48 from the field (48 percent), but just 4-of-17 from the arc. LSU was just 4-of-10 at the free throw line, 3-of-8 in the second half.
Auburn got 15 points from Marquis Daniels and 14 points from Derrick Bird. Marco Killingsworth had 12 rebounds. Auburn made 21-of-55 field goals (38.2 percent) and 7-of-18 three-pointers, 38.9 percent. The home Tigers also struggled at the line, making just 7-of-14. Auburn out rebounded LSU, 34-30.
LSU was forced to dig out of a hole early in the contest, falling behind 9-2, three minutes in the game. LSU got the game back to three, 11-8, on a Lloreda lay up but Auburn went on an 11-1 run which took the game to 22-9 on a Killingsworth jumper at the 7:42 mark of the first half.
But LSU began to get the game workable in the final four minutes of the half, getting a jumper from Brad Bridgewater, a lay up from Hudson and another Bridgewater lay up to cut it to 26-21 at the 3:03 mark. A Dupree jumper in the final 38 seconds cut the margin to 29-26 in favor of Auburn before Bird hit his fourth three-pointer of the half right before the buzzer, making Auburn’s halftime advantage, 32-26.
The Auburn lead went from six to eight for the first five minutes of the second half before LSU began to get it on track while forcing Auburn into missed shots and turnovers. Whipple, Hudson and Dupree all hit shots to cut an eight-point lead to two, 38-36, with 15:40 to play and after an Auburn free throw, a Dupree lay up cuts the game to 39-38, with 14:19 to go. LSU went two for three with Auburn, giving up a two, before Darrel Mitchell hit a trey to tie the game at 41-41 with 10:48 to play.
LSU had opportunities to take the lead in this time period, but Auburn wouldn’t give it up, building back to a four-point lead that went back-and forth with Auburn up 53-49 with 4:39 left.
Torris Bright hit a trey to cut it to 53-52 with 4:19 left, setting the scene for Lloreda’s layup with 3:07 left, setting the stage for the final moments.