It looked like [autotag]Jalen Cook[/autotag] was going to be the hero for LSU.
With the Tigers trailing by two with 16 seconds to play against Georgia on Wednesday night, Cook drove to the basket to make a layup with contact. He made the subsequent free throw to give his team a one-point lead, but an and-one layup on the other end from center Russell Tchewa with 2.1 seconds left gave UGA a two-point advantage once again.
[autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] got off the best three-point shot he could as the buzzer sounded, but it was just offline as it rimmed out and sealed a 68-66 win for Georgia as LSU fell to 11-8 (3-3 SEC).
The Bulldogs had all sorts of offensive issues early in the game, from missed shots to turnovers. But LSU didn’t manage to capitalize, and Georgia got hot. It ultimately shot over 50% in the half, making 9 of 11 field goals at one point as it stretched its lead as big as seven points.
A nice run before half from the Tigers managed to cut into that, but they still found themselves trailing 35-33 as both teams went into the locker room. They shot just 37.5% in the first half, though both [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] and Cook scored in double figures in the first 20 minutes.
LSU dealt with some prolonged cold stretches in the second half but kept things within range. It ultimately shot 40% in the second frame as it mounted a comeback attempt, but its lead after Cook’s free throw was the only one it possessed in the final 20 minutes.
Cook finished with a game-high 21 points, while Wright scored 18 thanks to some strong three-point shooting. No one else finished in double figures, however, as LSU finished below its season scoring average.
The loss now marks two in a row for LSU, for which the road doesn’t get any easier from here in a loaded SEC. Next up will be a tricky road game against Alabama, which sits in the top 10 of the NET Rankings as of publication.
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