Will Baker scored a game-high 23 points to help lead LSU to an 86-80 overtime win against Wake Forest in the fifth-place game of the Charleston Classic, in Charleston, South Carolina on Sunday. Jordan Wright added 15 points and 9 rebounds for the Tigers, who held off a Demon Deacon rally in each team's first overtime game of the season.
Gonzaga transfer Hunter Sallis paced Wake Forest with 22 points, 16 after halftime, on 9-for-16 shooting. Kevin Miller poured in 19 for the Demon Deacons, whose first lead came with 4:02 remaining in overtime on a Miller layup that made it 76-74.
LSU's Tyrell Ward hit a 3-pointer on the next possession to give the lead back to LSU, and the Tigers wouldn't trail again as Jalen Reed would connect on two free throws and then a layup with 41 seconds left that gave LSU an 83-80 advantage, and eventually the victory.
In regulation, Wake Forest freshman Marquis Marion dunked with 2:09 remaining to cut the LSU lead to 69-68.
Reed then connected on two free throws to extend the Tiger lead to three with 61 seconds left.
After Wright made 1-of-2 free throws on the next Tiger possession, Wake Forest's Andrew Carr rolled in a layup that made the score LSU 72-70 with 26 seconds left.
Wright then missed a pair of free throws, and Carr, who finished with 17 points, dunked the game-tying basket with 16 seconds left.
Reed missed a contested layup at the buzzer, which sent the game to overtime.
Wake Forest shot 46.7% from the field and outshot LSU, who shot just 40.8% from the field. Despite the poor shooting, LSU held an advantage in offensive rebounding, at 18-9.
Baker led LSU with 14 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the field in the first half en route to a 46-36 lead at halftime. The Tigers led by as many as 14, after a pair of free throws from Derek Fountain with 6:30 remaining.
Cameron Hildreth paced the Demon Deacons with 16 of his 18 points in the first, including the final 8 Wake Forest points of the half.
--Field Level Media
Louisiana State | Wake Forest | |
Will Baker 23 | Scoring | Hunter Sallis 22 |
Tyrell Ward 3 | Assists | Kevin Miller 8 |
Jordan Wright 9 | Rebounds | Andrew Carr 9 |
Jalen Reed 6 | Free Throws Made | Kevin Miller 8 |
Jordan Wright 4 | Steals | Cameron Hildreth 2 |
Jalen Reed 4 | Blocks | Andrew Carr 3 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Louisiana State | 86 | 40.8 | 7-18 | 21-31 | 7 | 40 | 7 | 13 | 11 |
Wake Forest | 80 | 46.7 | 8-23 | 16-20 | 15 | 34 | 8 | 6 | 18 |