LSU Falls to Nicholls State, 68-66
Jalen Reed had a team-high 14 points and 8 rebounds for the Tigers.
BATON ROUGE – The LSU Tigers came all the way back from 24 points down against Nicholls Friday night to take a lead, but the Colonels prevailed, 68-66, with a Jalen White three-pointer from the wing the difference with 1.2 seconds to play at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The Tigers got a long look to tie from Will Baker at the horn that bounced away giving Nicholls the only two wins over LSU by a Louisiana school in the last 13 seasons. The Colonels were the last state team to beat LSU in a regular season game in 2010.
LSU, down 24 points in the final two minutes of the first half, and down 44-25 at intermission after the Colonels shot 56 percent overall from the field (14-25) and made 9-of-17 three-pointers in the first 20 minutes. At the same time, the Tigers were 7-of-27 overall (25.9%) and just 1-of-11 from the arc.
In the second half, the Tigers tried to make a rally, imposing their will defensively and getting shots to fall. LSU got to within four points inside 10 minutes a few times before getting the game to 57-55.
Jalen Reed hit two free throws to tie the game at 57-57 with 6:05 to play and took a 60-57 led on a free throw by Reed and a layup by Mike Williams III.
LSU led 66-63 with 1:41 to play after a dunk rebound by Daimion Collins, but LSU would not score again as Nicholls made two free throws with 46 seconds to play before the winning three-pointer.
Reed led LSU with 14 points and eight rebounds and Jordan Wright had 11 points. Diante Smith had 18 points to lead Nicholls, White 17, Jamal West Jr., added 14 and Rob Brown III 11.
For the game, after shooting just 29.2 percent in the second half, Nicholls finished 21-of-49 or 42.9 percent, making 12-of-30 three-pointers (40.0%). Nicholls was 14-of-15 from the free throw line (93.3%).
The Tigers finished the game shooting 39.3 percent (22-56) and made just 3-of-19 from distance (15.8%). LSU was 19-of-26 at the free throw line.
Nicholls outrebounded LSU, 32-31.
LSU next plays on Thursday in the Charleston Classic in Charleston, South Carolina against Dayton. The Tigers will play three games on Nov. 16, 17 and 19 before returning home to face North Florida on Nov. 24.