Tyrell Ward's last-second shot lifts LSU over No. 17 Kentucky 75-74
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) While LSU's Tyrell Ward was mobbed on the court by jubilant fans, including women's basketball star Angel Reese, Kentucky coach John Calipari and the Wildcats could only watch the celebration while awaiting a brief video review of the frantic, last-second sequence that did them in.
Ward capped a 17-point performance with a short floater as time expired, and LSU pulled out a second straight comeback victory over a ranked team with a 75-74 victory over No. 17 Kentucky on Wednesday night.
“We wanted it more than them, plain and simple,” Ward said. “I would definitely say we’re finding more ways to win."
The Wildcats nearly sealed a dramatic, last-minute comeback when Adou Thiero blocked Jordan Wright’s driving shot in the final seconds. Wright was able to push the ball back up in front of the rim, where Ward leaped to grab the ball and quickly release his decisive shot before he came down.
“Adou blocks it; I got to watch the tape and say, ‘Who did not grab that ball - the winning ball - who didn’t grab it and why?’” Calipari said. “Why not dive on the floor? Just tie it up and we win the game.”
Calipari lamented that an inability secure a number of loose balls cost his team the game.
“That's all we talk about,” Calipari said. “If you're not going to come up with 50-50 balls, you can't win. ... They toughed us for those balls, which were the difference.”
Ward's basket sent jubilant fans pouring onto the floor as security officers scrambled to rope off an area around both benches in an effort to minimize mingling between spectators and the teams.
Reese threw her arms around Ward's shoulders as she hopped joyously next to him, but Ward said he didn't realize she was there.
“I blacked out as soon as the shot went in," Ward said. "I can’t remember. I didn’t know nothing that was going on.”
Wright and Jalen Reed each scored 13 points for LSU (14-12, 6-7 Southeastern Conference), which erased a 15-point, second half deficit against Kentucky - one game after overcoming a 16-point, second-half hole in a 64-63 victory at then-No. 11 South Carolina on Saturday.
“Just so proud of our players,” LSU second-year coach Matt McMahon said. “Over the last week, we’ve seen the toughness that we need to play with. I think it has to be the foundation of your program.
“We really came together as a team and found ways to get it done,” he added. “It’s a special week, certainly something we can build on.”
Antonio Reeves scored 25 points for Kentucky (18-8, 8-5), which has now stumbled to five losses in its past nine games. Rob Dillingham scored 22 of his 24 points in the second half. His driving scoop as he was fouled with 53 seconds left, followed by his pullup jumper on the baseline with 13 seconds left, briefly gave the Wildcats a 74-73 lead.
"The last minute was not a work of art, but that’s on me and the guys found a way to win anyway,” McMahon said.
Kentucky closed the first half on a 12-1 run during which Reeves hit a 3 and fast-break layup. Justin Edwards' 3 gave the Wildcats a 36-27 lead at the break.
Kentucky opened the second half with consecutive 3s by Edwards and Reeves to make it 42-27, but Derek Fountain's layup shortly after ignited a 21-4 LSU run that included consecutive 3s by Wright and ended with back-to-back layups by Reed and Hunter Dean to put the Tigers up 48-46.
Reed Sheppard interrupted the spurt with a layup while being fouled and completed the 3-point play, but the game was tight from then on.
BIG PICTURE
Kentucky: The Wildcats did not have any players other Reeves or Dillingham score more than nine points and were outshot 45%-44%. ... Senior forward Tre Mitchell, who has averaged 12 points per game this season, sat out for the fourth time in five games with an ailing shoulder and back.
LSU: The Tigers are looking like an increasingly dangerous opponent as the conference tournament nears. They outrebounded Kentucky 38-30 and won a second straight game without guard Jalen Cook, who sat out with a hamstring injury that has caused him to miss three of five games overall.
UP NEXT
Kentucky: Host No. 13 Alabama on Saturday.
LSU: Host Mississippi State on Saturday night.
---
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.
---
AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Copyright 2024 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Ugonna Onyenso vs. Will Baker (Wildcats gains possession) | |||
19:37 | Wildcats turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
19:26 | Jordan Wright turnover (bad pass) (Antonio Reeves steals) | |||
19:20 | +2 | Ugonna Onyenso makes two point dunk (Antonio Reeves assists) | 2-0 | |
19:02 | Will Baker misses three point jump shot | |||
19:00 | D.J. Wagner defensive rebound | |||
18:52 | Justin Edwards misses three point jump shot | |||
18:50 | D.J. Wagner offensive rebound | |||
18:45 | +2 | Adou Thiero makes two point layup | 4-0 | |
18:24 | Ugonna Onyenso shooting foul (Will Baker draws the foul) | |||
18:24 | +1 | Will Baker makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 4-1 | |
18:24 | Will Baker misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
18:24 | Adou Thiero defensive rebound | |||
18:03 | Ugonna Onyenso turnover (bad pass) (Trae Hannibal steals) | |||
17:47 | +2 | Will Baker makes two point layup | 4-3 | |
17:29 | +2 | Antonio Reeves makes two point jump shot (D.J. Wagner assists) | 6-3 | |
17:12 | +3 | Tyrell Ward makes three point jump shot (Trae Hannibal assists) | 6-6 | |
16:58 | +2 | Antonio Reeves makes two point layup | 8-6 | |
16:39 | Will Baker misses two point layup | |||
16:37 | Derek Fountain offensive rebound | |||
16:32 | +2 | Derek Fountain makes two point layup | 8-8 | |
16:12 | Ugonna Onyenso misses two point jump shot | |||
16:10 | Will Baker defensive rebound | |||
15:59 | Adou Thiero blocks Will Baker's two point layup | |||
15:57 | Ugonna Onyenso defensive rebound | |||
15:30 | +2 | Antonio Reeves makes two point jump shot | 10-8 | |
15:08 | Will Baker misses three point jump shot | |||
15:06 | Adou Thiero defensive rebound | |||
14:58 | D.J. Wagner misses two point layup | |||
14:56 | Antonio Reeves offensive rebound | |||
14:52 | +3 | Antonio Reeves makes three point jump shot | 13-8 | |
14:31 | +3 | Derek Fountain makes three point jump shot (Trae Hannibal assists) | 13-11 | |
14:14 | Adou Thiero misses three point jump shot | |||
14:12 | Trae Hannibal defensive rebound | |||
14:00 | +3 | Tyrell Ward makes three point jump shot (Jordan Wright assists) | 13-14 | |
13:44 | +3 | Justin Edwards makes three point jump shot (Adou Thiero assists) | 16-14 | |
13:28 | +2 | Trae Hannibal makes two point layup | 16-16 | |
13:13 | Justin Edwards turnover (traveling) | |||
13:13 | TV timeout | |||
12:58 | +3 | Jordan Wright makes three point jump shot (Trae Hannibal assists) | 16-19 | |
12:48 | Jordan Burks offensive foul | |||
12:48 | Jordan Burks turnover (offensive foul) | |||
12:28 | Jalen Reed misses two point layup | |||
12:26 | Rob Dillingham defensive rebound | |||
12:17 | +2 | Rob Dillingham makes two point layup | 18-19 | |
12:01 | Jordan Wright misses three point jump shot | |||
11:59 | Jordan Burks defensive rebound | |||
11:58 | Jordan Wright personal foul | |||
11:58 | TV timeout | |||
11:49 | Trae Hannibal personal foul | |||
11:43 | Aaron Bradshaw misses three point jump shot | |||
11:41 | Trae Hannibal defensive rebound | |||
11:18 | Jalen Reed turnover (bad pass) | |||
10:56 | Aaron Bradshaw misses two point dunk | |||
10:54 | Jalen Reed defensive rebound | |||
10:45 | Aaron Bradshaw shooting foul (Tyrell Ward draws the foul) | |||
10:45 | +1 | Tyrell Ward makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 18-20 | |
10:45 | +1 | Tyrell Ward makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 18-21 | |
10:33 | Rob Dillingham turnover (lost ball) (Jordan Wright steals) | |||
10:17 | Will Baker turnover (lost ball) (Reed Sheppard steals) | |||
10:10 | Rob Dillingham misses two point jump shot | |||
10:08 | Reed Sheppard offensive rebound | |||
10:04 | +2 | Adou Thiero makes two point alley-oop dunk (Reed Sheppard assists) | 20-21 | |
9:43 | D.J. Wagner shooting foul (Jalen Reed draws the foul) | |||
9:43 | Jalen Reed misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
9:43 | +1 | Jalen Reed makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 20-22 | |
9:21 | D.J. Wagner turnover (bad pass) | |||
9:14 | Mike Williams III turnover (bad pass) (Reed Sheppard steals) | |||
9:09 | +2 | Adou Thiero makes two point dunk | 22-22 | |
8:36 | Tigers turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
8:13 | Reed Sheppard misses three point jump shot | |||
8:11 | Will Baker defensive rebound | |||
7:49 | Will Baker misses two point layup | |||
7:47 | Reed Sheppard defensive rebound | |||
7:41 | Reed Sheppard misses two point layup | |||
7:39 | Derek Fountain defensive rebound | |||
7:37 | Will Baker offensive foul | |||
7:37 | Will Baker turnover (offensive foul) | |||
7:37 | TV timeout | |||
7:34 | +2 | Antonio Reeves makes two point layup | 24-22 | |
7:19 | Ugonna Onyenso blocks Tyrell Ward's two point layup | |||
7:17 | Adou Thiero defensive rebound | |||
7:10 | Rob Dillingham misses three point jump shot | |||
7:08 | Trae Hannibal defensive rebound | |||
6:54 | +2 | Jordan Wright makes two point jump shot | 24-24 | |
6:42 | Antonio Reeves misses two point jump shot | |||
6:40 | Ugonna Onyenso offensive rebound | |||
6:40 | Ugonna Onyenso misses two point layup | |||
6:38 | Ugonna Onyenso offensive rebound | |||
6:37 | Jump ball. Ugonna Onyenso vs. Will Baker (Will Baker gains possession) | |||
6:37 | Ugonna Onyenso turnover (lost ball) (Will Baker steals) | |||
6:13 | Jordan Wright misses three point jump shot | |||
6:11 | Antonio Reeves defensive rebound | |||
6:02 | D.J. Wagner misses two point jump shot | |||
6:00 | Hunter Dean defensive rebound | |||
5:50 | Hunter Dean turnover (lost ball) (Antonio Reeves steals) | |||
5:45 | Rob Dillingham misses three point jump shot | |||
5:43 | Adou Thiero offensive rebound | |||
5:34 | Adou Thiero misses two point alley-oop dunk | |||
5:32 | Derek Fountain defensive rebound | |||
5:11 | Hunter Dean turnover (lost ball) (Adou Thiero steals) | |||
5:05 | Antonio Reeves misses two point layup | |||
5:03 | Derek Fountain defensive rebound | |||
4:40 | Tyrell Ward misses two point layup | |||
4:38 | Hunter Dean offensive rebound | |||
4:33 | Jordan Wright misses three point jump shot | |||
4:31 | Adou Thiero defensive rebound | |||
4:12 | Antonio Reeves misses two point layup | |||
4:10 | Derek Fountain defensive rebound | |||
3:51 | +2 | Tyrell Ward makes two point jump shot | 24-26 | |
3:32 | Rob Dillingham misses two point layup | |||
3:30 | Trae Hannibal defensive rebound | |||
3:11 | Adou Thiero personal foul | |||
3:11 | TV timeout | |||
3:10 | Mwani Wilkinson misses three point jump shot | |||
3:08 | Antonio Reeves defensive rebound | |||
2:44 | +2 | Reed Sheppard makes two point jump shot | 26-26 | |
2:29 | Mike Williams III misses two point layup | |||
2:27 | Hunter Dean offensive rebound | |||
2:23 | Ugonna Onyenso shooting foul (Trae Hannibal draws the foul) | |||
2:23 | Trae Hannibal misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
2:23 | +1 | Trae Hannibal makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 26-27 | |
1:59 | +3 | Antonio Reeves makes three point jump shot (Justin Edwards assists) | 29-27 | |
1:48 | Mike Williams III turnover (lost ball) | |||
1:37 | +2 | Reed Sheppard makes two point layup | 31-27 | |
1:18 | Jordan Wright turnover (lost ball) (Reed Sheppard steals) | |||
1:10 | +2 | Antonio Reeves makes two point layup | 33-27 | |
1:10 | Tigers 30 second timeout | |||
0:57 | Zvonimir Ivisic personal foul (Will Baker draws the foul) | |||
0:57 | Will Baker misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
0:57 | Trae Hannibal offensive rebound | |||
0:51 | Jalen Reed misses three point jump shot | |||
0:49 | Jordan Burks defensive rebound | |||
0:28 | +3 | Justin Edwards makes three point jump shot (Reed Sheppard assists) | 36-27 | |
0:03 | Jalen Reed turnover (lost ball) (Reed Sheppard steals) | |||
0:00 | End of period |