INDIANAPOLIS – The road to a national championship ended Saturday for the LSU men’s basketball team, and it was not a scenic drive.
The Tigers (27-9) lost to UCLA, 59-45, at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Ind., in the NCAA Tournament Final Four.
LSU’s 45 points was the lowest point total for a team since 2000, when Michigan State defeated Wisconsin 53-41.
UCLA (32-6) took plenty of time to shoot through most of the second half, but the Bruins were able to sink shots at the last second.
“It was demoralizing for the whole team to hold them to five seconds [on the] shot clock and then them hit a 3 or something like that, get a lay up or a foul,” freshman guard Garrett Temple said. “We played defense, but we didn’t play it for 35 seconds. We defended them well in the second half – they only had 20 points – but we couldn’t hit shots, and that was the biggest thing.”
Sophomore forward Glen Davis and freshman forward Tasmin Mitchell were the only Tigers in double figures. Davis had 14 points and seven rebounds, and Mitchell had 12 points and six rebounds.
Freshman forward Tyrus Thomas was held to 5 points and six rebounds with three blocks. He played only four minutes in the second half, coming out of the game at 11:39, and he never dunked.
The Bruins were up 23 points when Thomas was replaced by freshman guard Magnum Rolle, who had eight rebounds in 14 minutes of play.
UCLA had a permanent lead after overtaking LSU with 18:14 left in the first half. They shot 41.2 percent from the field and made 5-of-18 3-pointers. They held their largest lead, 24 points, midway through the second half.
Forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute had 17 points and nine rebounds for the Bruins, and guard Jordan Farmar had 12.
UCLA said the Tigers were a tough team to play, although the score did not show that.
The Bruins said they had difficulties with Davis, whom they had to double team with Mbah a Moute and center Ryan Hollins.
“[Davis] is a great player and a future sure-fire NBA guy,” UCLA coach Ben Howland said. “I mean, I still feel the same way about Big Baby and Tyrus Thomas, Darrel Mitchell, Tasmin Mitchell. As happy as I am about winning, if we were to lose, I would want to lose to no other team than LSU, especially with everything the state of Louisiana has gone through this year.”
 
Contact Krysten Oliphant at [email protected]