National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Louisiana State 71, South Carolina 68
When: 1:30 PM ET, Saturday, January 11, 2014
Where: Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, South Carolina
Officials: # Pat Evans, # Joe Lindsay, # Mike Thibodeaux
Attendance: 12071


LSU 71, South Carolina 68: Freshman Jarell Martin scored a career-high 18 points as the visiting Tigers held on to end a two-game losing streak and earn their first SEC victory.

Fellow freshman Jordan Mickey and Johnny O'Bryant III each scored 13 points for LSU (10-4, 1-1), which saw a 14-point second-half lead evaporate to four inside the final minute. Martin finished 5-of-6 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line, and contributed five steals.

Freshman Sindarius Thornwell led all scorers with a career-high 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting for the Gamecocks (7-8, 0-2), who have lost two in a row following a four-game winning streak. South Carolina went more than eight minutes of the second half without a field goal, yet pulled within three on Brenton Williams' 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Williams tied the game at 42 on two free throws with just under 13 minutes to play. LSU pulled ahead with a 22-8 run, getting six points each from Mickey and O’Bryant III as well as two 3-pointers from Andre Stringer, to build a 64-50 advantage with less than six minutes remaining.

Thornwell’s driving dunk with 2:23 remaining ended the Gamecocks’ drought from the field and brought South Carolina within seven while his running shot in the lane 12 seconds later made it 64-59. Williams' 3-pointer with 54 seconds left cut LSU’s lead to 66-62, but the Tigers held on despite shooting 5-of-10 from the free-throw line in the final 47 seconds.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Gamecocks finished with 19 turnovers and have committed 40 turnovers in the past two games. … Williams, who averaged 11.1 points entering Saturday, finished with 11 on 3-of-13 shooting from the field. … LSU recorded 14 steals, helping offset 19 turnovers.

Top Game Performances
 
Louisiana State   South Carolina
Jarell Martin 18 Scoring Sindarius Thornwell 25
Malik Morgan 4 Assists Tyrone Johnson 3
Johnny O'Bryant III 7 Rebounds Tyrone Johnson 5
Jarell Martin 7 Free Throws Made Tyrone Johnson 6
Jarell Martin 5 Steals Michael Carrera 2
Malik Morgan 2 Blocks Michael Carrera 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Louisiana State 71 39.3 5-18 22-35 13 37 4 14 19
South Carolina 68 41.7 4-11 24-34 10 28 4 9 19