LSU’s men’s basketball team very nearly completed a remarkable comeback in Gainesville against Florida on Tuesday night.
After trailing by 20 points in the second half, the Tigers fought back to tie the game in the final minute. Trailing by two as the final seconds ticked away, guard [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] had a wide-open lane to the basket but rushed his shot, leaving it short as the Gators held on for an 82-80 win.
LSU had a nice start to the game offensively, but the Gators were even better. They sunk their first six shots and hit eight of their first 11, holding on to a slim 19-15 lead by the under-12 timeout in the first half.
Florida ultimately finished the half shooting 66.7%, stretching a 14-point lead heading into the locker room thanks to a buzzer-beater long two from guard Zyon Pullin.
LSU particularly struggled to defend Walter Clayton Jr., who had 14 points in the half. Will Baker led the Tigers with 13 points in the frame, but the team shot just 41.9%, though 5-of-12 three-point shooting helped them hang around.
Florida dominated early in the second half, leading 60-40 at one point. But the Gators went cold, and some clutch shooting from the Tigers got them back in the game, particularly [autotag]Jalen Cook[/autotag] — who scored 12 for the night and 10 points in the second half.
The Tigers ultimately outshot Florida 51%-49%, but they left points at the charity stripe as they were just 13 of 21 on free throws. Wright and [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag] ultimately led the team with 16 points each.
LSU missed opportunities to steal this one; a turnover down one with 25 seconds to go stands out. It also was dominated on the boards with a 43-29 rebounding margin
Now, the Tigers fall to 12-12 (4-7 SEC) after dropping their last three and six of their last seven. They’ll be back in action on Saturday with another tough road game against a ranked South Carolina team.
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