The LSU men’s basketball season ended on an all too familiar note.
The Tigers (11-21, 3-14) were handed another double-digit loss Thursday night — their eighth in the past two months — at the hands of Vanderbilt in the opening round of the 2011 Southeastern Conference Tournament, 62-50, in Atlanta.
LSU didn’t give up without a last-minute fight.
Vanderbilt (22-9, 10-7) held a 20-point lead at the 14:24 mark in the second half, but the Tigers came back to cut the Commodores’ advantage to eight points after junior guard Chris Bass hit a jumper with about five minutes remaining.
But LSU missed three 3-pointers in the last couple minutes to seal its fate and signal the conclusion of the season.
A comeback would have bucked a trend this season. LSU was 0-14 in games in which they trailed at halftime entering the SEC tournament.
The streak didn’t end on Vanderbilt’s watch. The Commodores advanced to the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament and will face Mississippi State on Friday.
Freshman guard Ralston Turner, the Tigers’ leading scorer, was cold Thursday, shooting 0-of-12 from the floor.
LSU junior forward Storm Warren recorded 12 points, but he left the game at the 6:36 mark after fouling out.
Vanderbilt came out with the victory without the services of its leading scorer, sophomore guard John Jenkins. Jenkins was out with a foot injury he suffered during Saturday’s loss to Florida.
Junior guard Jeffery Taylor picked up the slack, contributing 21 points.
The Tigers failed to advance past the first round of the SEC tournament in three of the past four seasons. The last time LSU made it the third round in the SEC tournament was the 2002-03 season.
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