The LSU Tigers men’s basketball team ends their regular season with a win.
LSU defeated Missouri 86-80 on the road behind Cameron Thomas’ 29 points.
The Tigers end the regular season 16-8 overall for the season and 11-6 in SEC play.
LSU will be the No. 3 seed in the SEC Tournament.
How It Happened:
LSU found themselves down early in the contest.
Missouri took a 12-8 lead within the first five minutes of Saturday’s game.
A 3-pointer by Missouri’s Dru Smith gave Missouri the four-point lead with 15:24 left in the first half.
LSU responded with a 7-0 run to take a 15-12 lead after a jumper by Thomas.
The LSU Tigers stretched their lead to double digits with 9:21 left in the half. They led Missouri 24-14 after a couple of made free throws from Eric Gaines.
A Drew Buggs’ four-point play brought Missouri to within four points. They cut the deficit to 35-31 with five minutes left in the half. Missouri only trailed 37-36 after another made 3-pointer.
LSU and Missouri were tied at 40 entering the second half.
Missouri came out of the halftime break and immediately took a 44-42 lead with a layup from Kobe Brown.
Missouri led by as many as six points around the midway point of the second half. They led 63-57 with 9:23 left in the game.
LSU’s Thomas gave the Tigers a 69-68 lead with 5:51 remaining.
Smith made two free throws as LSU led 78-76 with 2:35 left in the game. LSU’s Thomas responded with two free throws of his own.
Forward Trendon Watford hit a jumper with 1:02 left and gave LSU an 82-80 lead.
The Tigers closed out the game with free throws as Missouri failed to connect from the 3-point line.
Big Number: 52
LSU’s offense shot 52 percent from the field, while Missouri converted on 37 percent of their field goal attempts. They also outscored Missouri 34-26 in points in the paint.
Player of the Game: Cameron Thomas
Watford hit the big shot for LSU late in the game to give LSU the two-point lead, but Thomas’ offense led the way for the Tigers. He scored 29 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field. Thomas went 10-of-12 from the free throw line while grabbing three rebounds.
Up Next: SEC Tournament Quarterfinals in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 12; Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.