The LSU’s men’s basketball team survived turnovers and foul trouble to win a hard-fought contest, 74-73, against No. 16 West Virginia.
A clutch 3-pointer by LSU junior guard Keith Hornsby with 30 seconds remaining gave the Tigers (6-2) the lead and helped the team escape West Virginia with its biggest victory of the season thus far.
LSU found itself trailing by one after a West Virginia tip in following a missed free throw. But out of a timeout, LSU coach Johnny Jones drew up a play for junior guard Josh Gray, who finished at the net with eight seconds remaining to give LSU the lead and the win.
Hornsby finished with 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including a perfect night from long range making all three of his attempts.
The Tigers turned the ball over 24 times against a Mountaineers (7-1) defense that averages 21 forced turnovers per game.
The active West Virginia defense created problems for LSU all night, helping the Mountaineers solidify a lead after trading baskets early with the Tigers.
LSU held a 37-34 lead with 2:34 remaining in the first half before West Virginia went on an 18-1 run over the next 4:12 of game time to give itself a 52-38 lead early in the second half.
The Tigers refused to give up, using a 10-0 run during a 4:15 span of the second half to cut the Mountaineers lead to two thanks to the play of sophomore guard Tim Quarterman.
Quarterman scored 21 points and added seven rebounds for the Tigers off the bench, continuing to give the squad a much-needed spark and helping shoulder the load with sophomore forward Jordan Mickey out of the game due to foul trouble.
Foul trouble plagued the Tigers early, with Mickey picking up a pair of fouls in the first two minutes of the game, forcing the sophomore to sit out the rest of the half. The second half saw much of the same, with Mickey and sophomore forward Jarell Martin picking up their third fouls early. Martin eventually fouling out late in the game.
Mickey’s foul trouble hurt the Tigers on the scoreboard. He finished the game with a season-low four points due to his added time on the bench throughout the night.
Martin made his presence known in the paint with the absence of Mickey early. Martin scored 18 points in the game and added 14 rebounds, including a powerful put-back dunk off a Quarterman miss.
Martin’s aggressive play in the paint gave the Tigers the advantage in points down low, outscoring the Mountaineers by 14. LSU outmuscled West Virginia on the boards, bringing down 44 rebounds to West Virginia’s 35.
The fast paced game saw the contests lead change 10 times.
LSU’s defense buckled down, forcing the Mountaineers to shoot only 34 percent from the field, while the Tigers had one of their best nights from long range.
The Tigers, who averaged 27 percent from behind-the-arc coming into Thursday’s game, were much better from the 3-point range to help keep them in the game. LSU shot 53 percent from behind-the-arc for the game, well above its season average.
The improved 3-point shooting — as well as the play of Quarterman — helped keep the Tigers in the game despite the turnover trouble throughout the contest.
You can reach Jack Chascin on Twitter @Chascin_TDR.