The Library Media — Sports · Sports Desk
Donovan Dent’s Late 3-Pointer Lifts LSU Past No. 14 Gonzaga, 81-80
By Piper Rampage
SPOKANE, Wash. — Donovan Dent hit a step-back 3-pointer in the final seconds to cap a dramatic comeback, lifting LSU to an 81-80 victory over No. 14 Gonzaga in the Bad Boy Mowers Series at Numerica Veterans Arena.
Dent finished with a game-high 23 points and 10 assists, leading LSU to its first Top 25 win of head coach Will Wade’s second stint. The Tigers improved to 4-0, while Gonzaga suffered its first loss of the season, dropping to 2-1.
LSU trailed by as many as 13 points in the second half after Davis Fogle’s 3-pointer capped a 19-5 Gonzaga run that gave the Bulldogs a 66-54 advantage with just under 10 minutes remaining. But the Tigers chipped away, with Abdi Bashir Jr. providing a major spark from beyond the arc.
Bashir scored 15 points, all on 3-pointers, and went 4-for-4 from long range in the second half. His third second-half 3-pointer brought LSU within 75-68 with 4:23 left. Skyy Clark added 14 points, while Michael Ruzic recorded 12 points and 12 rebounds.
A 7-0 LSU run, featuring a Dent layup and two Clark free throws, narrowed the gap to 79-78. After a Gonzaga turnover and a missed Dent layup, the Bulldogs had an opportunity to protect their lead at the free-throw line. Fogle missed the second of two attempts with 12.7 seconds remaining, leaving Gonzaga ahead 80-78.
Saliou Niang secured the rebound and got the ball to Dent, who delivered the decisive step-back 3-pointer in the closing seconds. The shot completed a game-ending 10-1 LSU run. Gonzaga’s final desperation attempt bounced off the top of the backboard as time expired.
Dent had already made a significant impact before halftime, scoring 16 first-half points. His banked step-back 3-pointer at the break put LSU ahead 39-37, its first lead since early in the game. Gonzaga outscored LSU 43-42 in the second half, but the Tigers finished with the one-point victory.
Bashir’s shooting helped LSU finish 12-of-26 from 3-point range. Gonzaga was led by Braden Huff, who had 18 points and 13 rebounds. The Bulldogs shot 44.6%, making 33 of 74 attempts.
The contest featured 13 lead changes, but LSU made the final one count. After opening the season with three victories by 43, 41 and 40 points, the Tigers earned a different kind of win in Spokane: a one-point comeback against a ranked opponent.
Piper Rampage
Men’s College Basketball, The Library Media
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