LSU Falls to Alabama in SEC Title Game
The LSU Tigers came up just a little bit short in their quest to win their first SEC Tournament Championship since 1980.
LSU fell to the 6th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, 80-79 in the 2021 SEC Tournament title game held on Sunday in Nashville, Tennessee.
LSU's Trendon Watford, who scored a game-high 30 points, missed a shot from the top-of-the key, which was followed by two unsuccessful tap-in attempts as time expired, as Alabama held on for its first championship since 1991.
The Crimson Tide jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead before LSU gained a 32-28 advantage at the 3:35 mark of the first half.
Alabama went on a run, however, outscoring the Tigers, 7-0, the remainder of the half, to take a 40-37 advantage into the locker room at halftime.
Alabama led late, 76-71, but LSU's Ja'vonte Smar hit a couple of three-pointers, giving the Tigers a 77-76 lead with 1:16 to play.
The Crimson Tide regained the lead, 78-77, with :55 left when Jaden Shackelford hit a jumper, before Trendon Watford converted on a layup for the Tigers, giving them a 79-78 lead with only :25 to go.
On Alabama's next possession, Herbert Jones put through a layup with :21 remaining, giving them an 80-79 lead, and the eventual one-point victory.
Alabama ended up outshooting LSU from the field, 43%/41%, while the Tigers finished the contest outshooting the Crimson Tide from beyond the three-point arc, 37%/33%.
Alabama ended the game out-rebounding LSU, 50-43.
Shackelford led the way for the Crimson Tide, scoring 21 points while pulling down five rebounds.
In a losing cause for the Tigers, Watford poured in 32 points while also pulling down 8 rebounds.
With the victory, Alabama improved to 24-6 on the season, while LSU slipped to 18-9.
The Tigers await an NCAA Tournament berth, which will be announced at 5 p.m. CT on CBS.