Auburn wins the battle of the Tigers

BATON ROUGE -- Auburn's KT Harrell and Antoine Mason combined for eight three pointers and 52 points, as the visiting Tigers defeated the LSU men's basketball team, 81-77, on Thursday night at the Maravich Center.

LSU (16-6, 5-4 SEC) missed a game-tying free throw with 11 seconds left and was unable to take advantage of an Auburn turnover with less than three seconds to play.

Jordan Mickey led the way for LSU with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting with 12 rebounds and six blocks. Guard Tim Quarterman added 17 points, while Jarell Martin also tallied a double double with 14 points and 16 rebounds. Keith Hornsby had 11 points.

Harrell had 28 points while Mason had 24 points with Cinmeon Bowers getting 16 points and 10 rebounds.

LSU lost for the first time this season when outshooting its opponent. The homestanding Tigers were 29-of-66 shooting (43.9 percent) while Auburn was 26 of 61 (42.6 percent). Auburn made 9-of-20 three pointers, while LSU made only 4-of-17. Auburn was also 20-of-27 at the free throw line compared to 15-of-23 for LSU.

Auburn led the game for over 32 minutes, while LSU had the advantage for only 5:02 and with no more than a three-point advantage. Auburn had 20 points off LSU’s 15 turnovers.

LSU held a 19-16 lead after a layup by Keith Hornsby at the 12:50 mark but Auburn scored the next 10 points to take a 26-19 lead with 8:49 to go in the opening stanza. The LSU Tigers were able to close the game back in a high scoring half with LSU leads, 41-39, at the break.

Auburn kept LSU at bay for the first nine minutes of the second half before LSU rallied to take the lead. Down 58-53, Jalyn Patterson hit a three to cut it 58-56 and then after an Auburn turnover Martin had a dunk at the 9:22 mark to tie the game at 58-58. After another turnover, Mickey missed a shot but Patterson got the rebound and put the ball back in to give LSU, 60-58 advantage with 8:27 to play.

Just 15 seconds later, Harrell hit a three-pointer to give Auburn back the lead, 61-60. Auburn held that advantage until LSU’s Quarterman made two free throws to go up 73-72 with 1:19 left. But that LSU lead lasted just 16 seconds as Bowers got a layup to make it 74-73 Auburn.

Down the stretch, Auburn was about to make seven free throws and LSU was unable to convert a free throw or an inbounds pass in the final seconds with a chance to tie or win.

With both Mickey of LSU and Bowers of Auburn getting double doubles, the two players averaging a double double in the league remained that way and both are tied for the season lead with 13 double doubles each this season.

LSU remains at home for the second game of a rare three-game SEC homestand. The Tigers take on Alabama at 5 p.m. CT on Saturday at the Maravich Center.