Last season, LSU had its opportunities against undefeated and No. 1 Kentucky, but the Wildcats were the ones who executed down the stretch in a two-point win in Baton Rouge.
But in this year’s matchup, the Tigers (9-5, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) turned the tables on No. 9 Kentucky and, ultimately, left no doubt about it in front another sold-out crowd in the PMAC.
“For our team to have the opportunity to play like that against a team that was ranked preseason No. 1 in the country and picked first in our league says a lot about the way this team has played over the last week,” said LSU coach Johnny Jones. “We certainly don’t take it for granted.”
LSU junior guard Tim Quarterman recorded 14 of his 21 points and six of his 10 rebounds in the second half to go with seven assists as the Tigers flexed their muscles late in a 85-67 win against the Wildcats (11-3, 1-1 SEC) on Tuesday night.
Quarterman was one of three Tigers who recorded double-doubles, as sophomore forward Craig Victor II added 15 points and 12 rebounds and freshman forward Ben Simmons collected 14 points and 10 rebounds in Kentucky’s largest margin of the defeat of the season.
For players like Victor, who had to watch from the bench last season as Quarterman and other returners fell to Kentucky, playing a major role in this victory is rewarding.
“It was a big win,” Victor said. “I remember being here last year before the game. I was an opportunity, and we didn’t make the most of it. It was an opportunity [this year], and we played together as a team. I’m proud that we won”
But LSU played without Simmons for the final 11 minutes of the first half as the Tigers’ leading scorer picked up two first-half fouls. Instead of losing its grip on the early advantage, the Tigers stayed under control.
“You can’t overlook Ben going to the bench early and those guys continuing to stay focused out there – their attention to detail on the floor on both ends and did not get rattled at all,” Jones said. “They did a tremendous job on staying the course.”
However, the Tigers’ grasp of the matchup started well before Simmons had to exit the game.
After Kentucky sophomore guard Tyler Ulis hit two free throws in the opening minutes, Quarterman tied it on a layup on the next possession and Victor gave the Tigers the lead for good two minutes later.
Despite Simmons’ foul trouble for most of it, the Wildcats trailed by at least five points for more than 15 minutes of the half, knocking down only nine baskets in the first half.
When the Wildcats did get the score within striking distance, LSU received huge three pointers from sophomore forward Aaron Epps and senior guard Keith Hornsby. After Hornsby’s first triple at the 2:56 mark, he followed it up by canning another trey to stretch the lead to 11.
“I was happy we were up,” Simmons said of his first-half foul troubles. “All I really care about is winning. To see those guys out there and keeping the lead was big.”
Despite the Tigers leading by as many as 14 after a Quarterman dunk, Kentucky briefly stole momentum back from the Tigers as Ulis hit a trey as the first half expired.
The Tigers, though, didn’t left off the gas pedal to begin the second half.
Quarterman scored 6 of the Tigers’ first 10 points in the first few minutes of the second half, stretching the Tigers lead back to 13. Even when the Wildcats got within five points at the 12:27 mark and four points at the 9:36 mark, Quarterman responded with both of his triples on the night.
“I just went out there trying to be aggressive for my team,” Quarterman said. “I tried to make plays out there. I was aggressive on the offensive end of the floor. I just wanted to go out there and play good team defense. I just tried to help get the win tonight.
“I didn’t make all of the right plays tonight, but I made enough to help our team get the victory.”
After the second of the two Quarterman three-pointers, Victor’s steal on the following possession yielded a three-point play to bring the lead back to 10. LSU never let Kentucky within eight points after Victor’s hoop and harm with 8:48 left.
“Ben and I knew that we had to play physical,” Victor said. “We have to play on the defensive side as well and block out. Boxing out and creating havoc under the goal was a big key for us.”
On top of the Wildcats struggles from the field in the first half, both junior forward Marcus Lee and senior forward Alex Poythress had fouled out by the 7:29 mark of the second half.
Through Kentucky coach John Calipari’s lack of depth in the frontcourt, the Tigers dominated the paint, scoring 44 of their 85 points inside.

“We weren’t up for the challenge,” Calipari said. “We weren’t ready to compete at the level they competed at, especially our inside people. We didn’t get very much from anybody in there except a lot of fouls. Give credit to LSU. They played well.”
With a 10-point lead with less than four minutes to play, Simmons scored six straight points to stretch the lead to 16, which was capped off by his thunderous, one-handed putback.
But even with the notable individual efforts from the Tigers tonight, Quarterman said LSU is changing the course of its once-troubling season by making sacrifices.
“It’s all about sacrifices,” Quarterman said. “Everyone is making sacrifices for the wins. We have a lot of scorers on our team, but it’s all about making the right play. I think we have made a lot of sacrifices for each other and it’s paying off.”