TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Tim Quarterman put back his own miss with 33 seconds and then stopped two attempts by Alabama to tie or win the game as the LSU Tigers won for the second time on the road in Southeastern Conference play here Saturday afternoon with a 72-70 decision over the Crimson Tide at Coleman Coliseum.
The win was LSU’s first in Tuscaloosa since 2004 for LSU.
The Tigers had taken a 70-69 lead with 1:15 to play on a pair of free throws by Quarterman, but on the other end, Retin Obasohan was fouled and made only the first end of a one-and-one with 1:03 to play to tie the game for the 11th time at 70-70.
LSU brought the ball into the frontcourt and called time out to set up a play. Quarterman took the ball with the shot clock winding down to the hole, missed a short one, got his rebound back and dropped it in to give LSU the 72-70 lead.
Alabama would come town and Obasohan would miss an in close shot but he was able to get involved in a tie-up for the ball that on the alternating possessions gave Alabama the ball back with 18 seconds to play. After a timeout, Obasohan got the ball drippled from up top down to the paint area where he again missed and the ball was tapped around with LSU getting possession as the horn would sound to end the game.
LSU is now 12-7, 5-2 in the SEC and after overcoming a six-point deficit in the final 10 minutes of play, will be no worse than a tie for second place in the league going into Tuesday’s home game with Georgia at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Alabama (10-8, 1-5) was held without a field goal in the final 3:25 of the game.
Ben Simmons has another tremendous night with 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting with eight rebounds and five assists with just one turnover. Quarterman finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists, while Keith Hornsby added 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Victor II scored 11 before fouling out in the closing minutes, and Antonio Blakeney had 10 points and five rebounds.
The Tigers shot 49 percent from the field (29 of 59) while Alabama was held to 41.4 percent (24 of 58) with 10 three pointers in 25 attempts. LSU was 4-of-10 from the arc and 10-of-14 at the free throw line. LSU again posted a 50 percent shooting final 20 minutes, hitting 14-of-28 shots and 2-of-4 at the arc.
LSU had a 40-24 advantage in points in the paint and 39-34 lead in rebounds.
Alabama’s leading scorer was Obasohan who had 20 points by making all three of his three-point attempts with four assists. Arthur Edwards also had three treys and added 17, while Riley Norris scored a double double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
LSU had a good opening first 12 minutes of the half, building as much as a 27-19 lead with 7:53 to go in the first 20, but Simmons had to go to the bench with his second foul at the 5:05 mark and LSU up 31-25. From there LSU was outscored 16-5 in the half and trailed again in an SEC game at halftime, 41-36.
The Tigers were able to tie the game for the first time in the second half at 50-50 with 13;37 to go in the contest, but Michael Kessens got a bucket and Edwards a triple to make it 55-50. LSU came back to tie the game at 60, 62 and 66, that coming at the 3:55 mark.
It looked like the Coleman Coliseum luck LSU didn’t have would strike again on the next possession when Obasohan hit a three with the shot clock running down from way outside the arc to give Alabama a 69-66 lead.
But after a miss by Simmons, he got the rebound and hit a jumper with 2:59 to play that cut the Alabama lead to 69-68, setting the game up for the final sequence.
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