Will Baker made two free throws with 15 seconds left and LSU rebounded from losing a 15-point lead to defeat Georgia 67-66 on Tuesday night in Baton Rouge, La.
Jordan Wright scored 17 points and Baker finished with 12 as the Tigers (15-13, 7-8 SEC) turned the tables on the Bulldogs, who had scored the winning points with two seconds left in a 68-66 victory over visiting LSU on Jan. 24.
Noah Thomasson scored 16 points and Justin Hill added 11 Tuesday to lead Georgia (15-13, 5-10).
The Bulldogs started the second half with a 9-2 run that pulled them within 42-36.
Jalen Reed made a layup for the Tigers’ first field goal of the second half more than four minutes in, and Tyrell Ward followed with a 3-pointer for an 11-point lead.
Thomasson’s 3-pointer completed a 12-3 run that gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the second half, 58-57, with 5:38 to go.
There were two more lead changes and one tie before Hill’s 3-pointer gave Georgia a 64-61 lead. Wright made two free throws, then had a steal that led to a layup by Ward and a one-point lead for the Tigers.
Hill made a layup to give Georgia a one-point edge with 29 seconds left, but Baker’s free throws put LSU back on top.
After Hill missed a shot, the Bulldogs got the rebound, but Thomasson’s attempt was blocked by Reed with two seconds left and Wright secured the rebound.
The lead changed hands five times during the first 2 1/2 minutes before Baker pulled off a personal 7-0 run that gave LSU a 13-7 lead. That started a series of spurts by both teams.
Baker’s run ended when Silas Demary Jr. made a 3-pointer, but Ward and Wright each made a 3-pointer during a 10-0 run that gave the Tigers a 23-10 advantage.
Jabri Abdur-Rahim made five free throws during a 9-0 run that pulled Georgia within four.
Mike Williams III made back-to-back 3-pointers as part of an 8-0 run that gave LSU a 12-point lead.
The Tigers went up by 15 when Mwani Wilkinson made a 3-pointer, but Blue Cain beat the buzzer with a layup for Georgia, trimming the margin to 40-27 at halftime.
–Field Level Media