Sign in Subscribe
College basketball

LSU Tigers Hold Off Kentucky Wildcats in Thrilling SEC Opener

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Tari Eason capped a 13-point performance with a dunk in the final seconds, and No. 21 LSU held off No. 16 Kentucky 65-60 on Tuesday night. Xavier Pinson added 11 points for the Tigers, who saw neither team lead by more than nine points in a tight contest. Brandon Murray chipped in with 10 points, and the Tigers' defense came up clutch when it mattered most, forcing 15 turnovers from the Wildcats.

Key Takeaways:

  • Tari Eason led LSU with 13 points, including a crucial dunk in the final seconds that sealed the win.
  • Xavier Pinson added 11 points for the Tigers, with a key steal in the final moments leading to Eason's slam.
  • Brandon Murray contributed 10 points for LSU, who were paced by a balanced attack and stifling defense.
  • The Tigers forced 15 turnovers from Kentucky, which struggled to find consistency throughout the game.
  • No. 1 Baylor continued its national-best winning streak to 20 games, beating Oklahoma 84-74.
  • Freshman Paolo Banchero led No. 2 Duke past Georgia Tech 69-57, with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
  • No. 6 Kansas overcame a scoreless streak to beat Oklahoma State 74-63, behind 17 points and 15 rebounds from David McCormack.
  • No. 9 Auburn coasted past South Carolina 81-66, with Wendell Green Jr. leading the charge with 22 points.
  • Marquette snapped a four-game skid with a dominant 86-56 win over No. 16 Providence.
  • Isaiah Stevens scored 15 points to lead No. 20 Colorado State past Air Force 67-59.
  • Jared Rhoden scored 17 points, and Alexis Yetna had 14 and 10 rebounds to lead No. 24 Seton Hall past Butler 71-56.

Statistics:

  • Tari Eason had 13 points for LSU, including a crucial dunk in the final seconds.
  • Xavier Pinson had 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals for the Tigers.
  • Brandon Murray contributed 10 points for LSU, who shot 45.1% from the field.
  • No. 1 Baylor's James Akinjo scored 27 points to beat Oklahoma 84-74.
  • Freshman Paolo Banchero had 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead No. 2 Duke past Georgia Tech 69-57.
  • David McCormack scored 17 points and had 15 rebounds to lead No. 6 Kansas over Oklahoma State 74-63.
  • No. 9 Auburn shot 52.4% from the field to beat South Carolina 81-66.
  • Marquette's Justin Lewis had a career-high 23 points and 11 rebounds to beat No. 16 Providence 86-56.
  • Isaiah Stevens scored 15 points for No. 20 Colorado State, who improved to 11-0.
  • Jared Rhoden had 17 points for No. 24 Seton Hall, who avoided a 0-3 start in Big East play.

Sources:

  • Associated Press (Dec. 21)
  • Baton Rouge Advocate (Dec. 21)
  • ESPN (Dec. 21)
  • CBS Sports (Dec. 21)
  • USA Today (Dec. 21)

Read more