With a pesky Georgia squad threatening to complete a gradual comeback, LSU sophomore Andre Stringer just kept shooting.
The maligned shooting guard paced LSU with 18 points, and the Tigers made 8-of-10 free throws down the stretch to hold off Georgia, 61-53, Wednesday night in the PMAC.
The Bulldogs (12-15, 3-10 Southeastern Conference) cut a 12-point LSU first-half lead to three by the 8-minute mark of the second half.
But Stringer poured in two straight 3-pointers and found fellow sophomore Ralston Turner for a crushing trey and nine-point lead that kept the Tigers (17-10, 7-6 SEC) breathing easier late in the game.
“[Georgia] went under some of the screens when they played zone, so I was just trying to be aggressive with my shot,” Stringer said.
Stringer, who missed 19 consecutive 3-pointers during a recent four-game stretch, finished 4-of-9 beyond the arc, made a pair of free throws and shot 50 percent from the field.
“I haven’t stopped looking for my shot,” Stringer said. “The results aren’t always like we want, but the result was positive tonight.”
Stringer’s sentiment might as well have summed up LSU’s night.
The Tigers powered to an early 10-0 advantage behind consistent mid-range jumpers and freshman forward Johnny O’Bryant III’s persistent post play.
“We just threw the first couple punches,” said O’Bryant, who scored nine of his 14 points during the first 12 minutes. “We were attacking the rim and pushing the pace.”
It started with defense. The Bulldogs’ lengthy matchup zone look gave LSU fits all game.
“Give credit to their defense,” said LSU coach Trent Johnson. “They took away our comfort level down low, especially with the double teams.”
That pressure forced only 10 LSU turnovers, but the Tigers scored just eight points in the next 11 minutes, and the Bulldogs moved within three, 37-34.
Bulldogs senior guard Gerald Robinson Jr. poured in 17 points, freshman guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope earned 10 points and two 3-pointers and Dante Williams slammed home two dunks to keep Georgia close.
The teams traded buckets before Stringer’s spurt, and the game came down to the foul stripe, where LSU struggled most of the night. 
The Tigers were just 11-of-20 shooting free throws through the game’s first 37 minutes, but made them when it counted to keep the Bulldogs at bay.
“We’ve been knocking down a lot of free throws in practice lately,” said junior Justin Hamilton, who had a quiet seven points. “They weren’t falling early, but we had to calm ourselves late if we wanted to earn it at the line. We did.”
The Tigers — with a little help from Stringer’s string music — are now tied for fourth place in the SEC with three games to play and still harbor burgeoning NCAA Tournament hopes.
LSU has won five of its last six games and is above .500 in league play during February for just the fifth time in 15 years. 
“This was a good win for us,” Johnson said. “There was poise tonight and also us showing our fragileness. That’s a challenge we needed.”
 
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Contact Chris Abshire at [email protected]