NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The LSU Tigers are doing their best to help coach Johnny Jones relax, even when they play their way into overtime.
Tim Quarterman scored six of his 12 points in overtime, helping LSU rally and beat Vanderbilt 79-75 Saturday for their third overtime win this season.
“They don’t panic,” Jones said of his Tigers. “We’ve been there before. We’ve seen it, and we’ve been through it on several occasions.”
LSU (15-4, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) trailed by as much eight in the second half before scoring the final three points of regulation, the last a free throw by Jordan Mickey with 1:07 left to force overtime. Quarterman then scored the first bucket in overtime, giving LSU its first lead since late in the first half.
The Commodores tied it for the ninth and last time at 73 on Riley LaChance’s second straight jumper, and Quarterman answered with a jumper and two free throws to clinch LSU’s fourth straight win over Vanderbilt.
Shelton Mitchell missed a tying jumper with 3.6 seconds, and the Commodores (11-8, 1-5) lost their fifth straight. Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said he thought Mitchell might have drawn some contact on the shot.
“We got it six feet from the goal and pretty clean look,” Stallings said. “Anytime you get a clean look, you can’t argue.”
Mickey finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds for LSU. Jarell Martin added 19 and 12 rebounds, Keith Hornsby 11 and Jalyn Patterson 10.
Luke Kornet led Vanderbilt with 22 points. Freshman Wade Baldwin IV had a career-best 18 points, and Damian Jones added 13.
Both teams had a chance to win in regulation.
With seven seconds left on the shot clock and 15.3 seconds left, Jones took a timeout. Martin threw the ball into the backcourt on the inbound pass, and Quarterman had to rush a jumper that hit off the left rim. Vanderbilt got the ball and took its own timeout, but LaChance’s 3-pointer was short. Kornet was bumped trying to rebound the ball, and time expired.
In extra time, Quarterman scored on a jumper, followed by Martin’s layup, to cap a 7-0 spurt including the last three points of regulation. The sophomore missed a pair of free throws with 19.3 seconds left, giving Vandy one last chance. But Mitchell’s short jumper missed.
Vanderbilt led 35-30 at the break after a first half where the teams swapped the lead 14 times with six ties. The Commodores took the lead with back-to-back 3-pointers by Baldwin and Kornet for a 31-25 lead with 2:24 left in the first half.
In the second half, the Commodores led by as much as eight before LSU reeled them back in.
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TIP-INS:
Vanderbilt: Baldwin came in having hit only 2 of 16 3-pointers in five conference games. He hit all three attempts in the first half. … Both freshman Matthew Fisher-Davis and redshirt junior Josh Henderson made their first starts of the season Saturday. … Vandy blocked seven shots.
LSU: Following recent wins at Mississippi and Florida, the Tigers earned their fifth road victory this season against Vandy. … The SEC’s second-best team averaging 6.4 blocks per game, LSU only managed two. … Mickey came in as the SEC’s best shot blocker in league games averaging four per game, and he had only one late.
WORKING OT: LSU now is 3-1 in overtime with wins over Texas Tech and at Mississippi. The Tigers’ lone loss came in the SEC opener at Missouri.
GROWING PAINS: Vanderbilt now has matched its longest skid since losing nine straight in February 2003. The Commodores also lost five straight last season. “These guys try hard, they’re good kids, they’re coachable, they try to do what you want,” Stallings said. “It’s just not an easy league to win in sometimes.”
NEXT UP:
Vanderbilt: Visits Georgia on Tuesday. LSU: Host South Carolina on Wednesday.
