For the second game in a row, the LSU men’s basketball team couldn’t turn it on late in the second half in a close game, falling to Auburn, 81-77, on Thursday night in the PMAC.
Auburn (11-11, 3-6 Southeastern Conference) senior guard KT Harrell was efficient offensively on a 28-point effort, shooting 7-of-12 from the field and 5-of-9 from three-point territory.
LSU sophomore forward Jordan Mickey followed his 25-point, 20-rebound outing against Mississippi State with another double-double, totaling 23 points and 12 boards. But his team again struggled with free throws, going 15-of-23 for the game.
After entering halftime down 41-39, LSU (16-6, 5-4 SEC) struggled from the field through most of the second half. But starting at the 10:43 mark, LSU went on a 7-0 run to take a 60-58 lead on freshman guard Jalyn Patterson’s floater in the lane.
Auburn responded, holding leads of as many as five points three different times down the stretch. Even after LSU took a one-point lead with 1:19 left in the game, Auburn finished the final 36 seconds with a 7-of-8 clip from the free throw line to secure the win.