The LSU men’s basketball team couldn’t have scripted a better start against No. 1 Kentucky. 
The Tigers also couldn’t have scripted a more thrilling comeback in the
second half. 
But LSU wishes it could have scripted a better ending. 
In a game full of momentum-swinging runs, the Tigers failed to get the final one during their 71-69 loss to the Wildcats (24-0, 11-0
Southeastern Conference) on Tuesday at the PMAC. 
After clawing back to take a 66-60 lead with 7:29 to go, LSU (17-7, 6-5 SEC) failed to stop undefeated Kentucky from going on the game’s most important run — an 11-3 spurt that kept the Wildcats’ unblemished record intact. 
Few LSU players had ever been a part of a game this wild. 
“West Virginia was the [wildest game] before this, but this one takes the cake now,” said LSU junior guard Keith Hornsby. “It was a home game, and there was so much on the line for us. We really cherished that everyone [was] there supporting us.”  
The Tigers gave their fans plenty to cheer for during the first big run of the game. In front of the first sold out PMAC crowd in more than six years, LSU jumped ahead by scoring 10 of the game’s first 12 points to take an eight-point lead through the first three minutes. 
Sophomore forward Jarell Martin was responsible for most of the output, scoring six of the Tigers’ first eight points en route to a 15-point first half. All five of Martin’s field goals came in the paint, which was the plan. 
“I wanted to come attacking the basket and get their guys in foul trouble,” Martin said. “Try to get their shot blockers out of the game.”  
However, Martin and the Tigers couldn’t hang on to their lead as Kentucky outscored them by 12 during the final 14 minutes of the first half to take a 38-34 lead at the break.  
The Wildcats carried their late first-half run into the second half, pouring in 20 points within the first eight minutes after halftime to take a commanding 58-45 lead with 12:46 to go. Seven of those points came in transition off three LSU turnovers, something Martin said he noticed.   
“They did a great job of letting their guards leak out and get transition buckets,” Martin said.
Facing a 13-point deficit with less than  minutes to go, the Tigers exploded for another momentum-shifting run. LSU scored 16 unanswered points, lifting the 13,111 fans at the PMAC out of their seats to cheer their Tigers on against the nation’s lone unbeaten team. 
“We were trading baskets the whole night, and we definitely wanted to get some more stops,” Martin said. “They went on their run in the second half. We were able to come back and never give up.”   
But after regaining a six-point advantage with less than eight minutes left, LSU couldn’t stop Kentucky from making the game-winning run. The Wildcats scored 11 of the night’s last 14 points over the final 6:52 to secure their 24th consecutive win. 
Kentucky freshman forward Karl-Anthony Towns grabbed offensive rebounds on back-to-back misses before reclaiming the lead for the Wildcats with 1:30 to go. 
In a game as tight as Tuesday’s, LSU coach Johnny Jones said neither team ever gained an edge over the other — the end result came down to which team made key plays down the stretch. 
“[Kentucky] never really took control of the game,” Jones said. “They made some necessary plays and got back in it. They wound up getting ahead late, and that was [because of] offensive rebounding. We did a good job of defending their initial sets, forced them to take some tough shots. Unfortunately, we didn’t finish the play.”  
But after watching his squad trade blows with the nation’s premier team, Jones said the Tigers have nothing to hang their heads about. 
“I thought they showed we can come out and play with that kind of intensity level throughout the game against the No. 1 team in the country, a team sitting at [24-0],” Jones said. “We’ve battled through some tough games this year and put ourselves in position to have a shot to win it late. If you play that way throughout, then some good things can happen for you. 
You can reach David Gray on Twitter @dgray_TDR