Senior forward Aaron Epps established career highs of 26 points and 16 rebounds, leading LSU to an 80-77 nonconference victory over Houston on Wednesday at Baton Rouge, La.

Freshman guard Tremont Waters contributed 17 points and six assists, and he rejected a game-tying 3-point attempt by Houston junior guard Corey Davis Jr. in the final seconds. Sophomore guard Skylar Mays added 18 points and a career-best nine rebounds for the Tigers (6-2).

Junior guard Corey Davis and senior guard Rob Gray scored 20 points apiece for the Cougars, who had a seven-game winning streak halted. Senior forward Devin Davis had 14 points and seven rebounds.

Houston (8-2) had two chances to force overtime, but the 5-foot-11 Waters thwarted the first by rushing over and stuffing the shot as soon as the ball left the hands of Corey Davis with five seconds remaining. Devin Davis scrambled into the backcourt to retrieve the ball, and his straight-away 3-pointer bounced off the rim as time expired.

The Tigers trailed by four points four-plus minutes into the second half before rolling off 10 straight points with Mays converting a layup for a 55-49 advantage with 12:29 remaining.

Houston battled back to take a 62-61 lead on a basket by Devin Davis with 6:58 to play before Waters and junior guard Daryl Edwards hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give LSU a 67-62 lead. The Cougars pulled within one on two free throws by sophomore center Chris Harris Jr. with 4:51 left before the Tigers rattled off five straight for a 76-70 edge with 2:58 to play.

A three-point play by Epps gave LSU an 80-74 lead with 57.1 seconds left before Gray drained a 3-pointer eight seconds later prior to the game-ending sequence.

The Cougars made eight first-half 3-pointers and led 38-37 at the break.

LSU ripped off 11 straight points to take an early 16-5 lead and again led by 11 a short time later when Epps drained a 3-pointer with 15:03 left in the half. Sophomore guard Armoni Brooks shot Houston back in the game by making three consecutive 3-pointers, and the Cougars eventually took a 27-26 edge.