The LSU men’s basketball team salvaged its weekend Sunday, beating Butler 70-68 in overtime to capture third place at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla..
Both senior guard Andre Stringer and junior guard Anthony Hickey struggled from the floor, combining for only five points on nine shots, but the two combined for perhaps the biggest shot of the game.
Following a timeout, Stringer found Hickey at the top of the key and the Hopkinsville, Ky., native launched a deep trey to send the game into overtime, keeping the Tigers in the game.
Hickey said the play was oringinally designed for Stringer, but following Stringer’s penetration and kickout, he had an open look that he needed to take.
The Tigers were carried offensively by junior forward Johnny O’Bryant III, who scored 17 points on 14 shots. O’Bryant hit a late free throw to extend the Tigers’ lead to four points, essentially sealing the win.
“It’s great to see when hard work pays off. I thought at the midway point last year, the light went on,” said LSU coach Johnny Jones.
O’Bryant helped lead the charge for the Tigers in the paint, where they held a 38-12 advantage in points.
Bouncing back from dropping the semifinal loss to Memphis on Friday, the Tigers were helped by five players scoring 10 or more points. The Tigers were also able to cut down on their turnovers, coughing the ball up only 10 times on the night, after a putrid 24 turnover performance against Memphis.
LSU limited Butler to only nine points off turnovers, while in the loss to Memphis the Tigers gave up 33 points off of takeaways.
The Tigers got a huge boost off the bench from both senior forward Shavon Coleman and sophomore guard Malik Morgan, who contributed all 24 points off the bench for LSU.
The win is a quality one against a Butler team that ranks No. 20 in the RPI, something that could help them get into the NCAA Tournament at the end of the year.
“This weekend could be something great at end of the year,” Jones said. “The tough scheduling we had, quick turnarounds and caliber of competition, just the respect you have to have for a program like Butler.”