Field Level Media
Feb 8, 2020
J'Von McCormick hit a runner with 0.1 seconds left in overtime Saturday afternoon as No. 11 Auburn outlasted No. 18 LSU 91-90 in a Southeastern Conference showdown of Tigers at Auburn, Ala.
The last of McCormick's 23 points boosted Auburn (21-2, 8-2) into a tie for first place in the conference with LSU (17-6, 8-2) and Kentucky (18-5, 8-2), which defeated Tennessee on Saturday. McCormick also added nine rebounds and nine assists, while teammate Samir Doughty scored a team-high 26 points and reserve Devan Cambridge added 21, all coming on seven 3-pointers in 10 attempts.
Austin Wiley chipped in a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double for Auburn, which went 18 of 44 from the 3-point line. Auburn sank six 3-pointers in a 3:09 stretch bridging the end of regulation and the first minute-plus of overtime.
Skylar Mays scored a game-high 30 points and added eight assists and seven assists for LSU, leading five players in double figures. Darius Days tallied 19 points before fouling out late in regulation, while Javonte Smart and Trendon Watford hit for 12 apiece and Emmitt Williams tallied 11 points.
Williams' dunk off a Doughty turnover gave LSU a 90-89 lead with 9.0 seconds remaining, but McCormick drove the lane and got the roll on a high-arcing 6-footer.
Auburn forced overtime when Doughty converted a driving layup with 19.6 seconds after a turnover by Mays. LSU had a chance to win at the end of regulation, but Mays' 3-pointer as time expired clanged off the rim.
Coming off an embarrassing 99-90 loss Wednesday night at Vanderbilt that snapped the Commodores' 28-game losing streak against SEC teams, LSU controlled most of the first half behind two big runs.
With Auburn ahead 12-8 after three free throws by McCormick at the 12:52 mark, LSU ripped off 15 consecutive points. It hit three 3-pointers during the spurt, capping it on Watford's layup with 9:10 remaining.
The lead ballooned to 32-17 on two foul shots by Smart with 5:42 left, but Auburn rattled off 11 straight points to pull within 32-28 on a Cambridge 3-pointer. However, LSU responded with a 10-0 burst capped by the last of Days' 15 first half points, a driving layup, and headed for halftime with a 42-30 advantage.
--Field Level Media