The LSU Tigers advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament with a 69-67 victory over the Maryland Terrapins in a second-round game of the East Regional on Saturday in Jacksonville, Fla.
With the score tied at 67, Tremont Waters hit a shot from the right side of the basket just outside the lane with 1.6 seconds left.
LSU (28-6), the No. 3 seed in the East Region, will face the winner between No. 2 Michigan State (30-6), a 70-50 winner over No. 10 Minnesota, in the regional semifinals Friday evening in Washington, D.C.
LSU led by 15 with 16 minutes to go. But Maryland (23-11) rallied and took a 57-55 lead with 5:48 left. The Terrapins extended the lead to 60-57 with 5:09 to play.
Maryland still led 64-62 with 1:45 to play.
Skylar Mays sank two free throws to tie it at 64 with 1:13 left. The Terrapins missed a 3-pointer and a follow. LSU’s Naz Reid grabbed the rebound after the second miss.
Mays then nailed a 3-pointer with 40 seconds to play. Jalen Smith answered with a 3 to tie it at 67 with 28 ticks left on the clock.
The Tigers called a timeout with 20 seconds left. Waters dribbled around the top of the key to the right of the lane. He tossed up a shot just outside the lane that went in for the win.
Mays led LSU with 16 points. Reid had 13, Waters 12 and Darius Days 10. Kavell Bigby-Williams led the Tigers with eight rebounds. Waters had a team-high five assists.
Smith led Maryland with 15 points. Anthony Cowan Jr. and Aaron Wiggins scored 11 each. Bruno Fernando and Darryl Morsell had 10 each.
