Butch Pierre’s first game as LSU men’s basketball coach ended on a sour note Saturday afternoon as the Tigers failed in quest to upset No. 7 Tennessee.
LSU (8-14, 1-7) kept the score close for most of the game, but a late turnover by junior guard Marcus Thornton and the subsequent layup by Tennessee senior guard JaJuan Smith proved to be the difference in the Tigers’ 47-45 loss.
The loss was LSU’s 10th in its past 11 games. Junior center Chris Johnson led the Tigers with 17 points and eight rebounds while Thornton added 12 points and seven boards.
Reigning Southeastern Conference Player of the Year Chris Lofton led Tennessee (21-2, 8-1) with 15 points.
The game was a defensive struggle as LSU and Tennessee shot 38 and 32 percent from the field, respectively.
The Volunteers also struggled from the free-throw line, hitting four of their 15 attempts. The Tigers only shot four free throws during the game and hit two.
—Contact Jerit Roser at [email protected]