It looked like LSU was heading for another bad road loss on Saturday, but coach Matt McMahon’s team had other plans.
The Tigers overcame a 16-point second-half deficit and, particularly thanks to some clutch play from [autotag]Jordan Wrigh[/autotag]t down the stretch, they shocked No. 11 South Carolina on the road in Columbia with a 64-63 win.
McMahon gets a signature win, and LSU moves to 13-12 and 5-7 in SEC play as it earned its first road win against an AP Top 25 team since Feb. 2019.
LSU had a poor first half offensively, shooting just 10 of 30. Fortunately, the Gamecocks weren’t much better and also shot under 40%. They took 12 threes and hit just two of them.
The Tigers took an early 13-8 lead, but South Carolina responded with a 17-1 run and ultimately led by as much as 12 in the first half. But LSU managed to cut that down to seven as it trailed 32-25 at the break.
The Gamecocks came out of the gates hot in the second half, beginning the period on a 9-0 run to take a game-high 16-point lead. The Tigers, however, would claw their way back.
With just under eight minutes to play, LSU went on a 13-4 run and, with a Tyrell Ward three-pointer, cut the lead to just one with 3:01 to play.
Still, South Carolina managed to retake the lead, and while Wright cut it to one with a layup, the Tigers found themselves in trouble as they had multiple fouls to give.
But good trap defense by LSU forced a turnover on the inbound, and Wright drew a foul on the subsequent possession. He sunk both free throws to give the Tigers the lead, and as the final second ticked off, a prayer of a three from South Carolina missed.
Wright finished with 14 points, while Ward had a team-high 16 points thanks to a trio of threes. LSU as a team shot above 50% in the second half, and it won the rebounding battle 38-33.
It’s a massive win for LSU, which will hope it can spark a late-season run, even though the NCAA Tournament is likely out of reach.
The Tigers will now return home on Wednesday night, but the road doesn’t get any easier as Kentucky comes to town in what will be LSU’s fifth-straight game against a Quadrant 1 opponent.
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