LSU's Simmons enjoys big game in 80-71 win vs. Mizzou

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Ben Simmons had 22 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, and LSU held off struggling Missouri 80-71 on Tuesday night to stay alive for at least a share of the Southeastern Conference regular season title.

Antonio Blakeney scored 18 points, hitting a late 3-pointer and mid-range jumper to help LSU (18-12, 11-6) secure what initially looked to be an easy victory before Missouri (10-20, 3-14), which trailed by 22 at halftime, put together a 19-6 run to get as close as three points with less than five minutes to go.

Tim Quarterman scored 11 points with six assists for LSU, which entered the night one game behind SEC-leading Kentucky and Texas A&M. LSU shot nearly 53 percent from the field and made 11 more free throws (18-7) than Missouri.

Ryan Rosburg, Kevin Puryear and Terrence Phillips each scored 13 points for Missouri, which has lost four straight.

Missouri, which turned the ball over 13 times in the first half, played a much more composed second half, shooting 60 percent (18 of 30) and committing just two turnovers during the last 20 minutes in an effort to pull out what would have been its first and only road victory this season.

K.J. Walton's 3 pulled Mizzou to 65-62 with 4:48 to go, but Simmons found Blakeney for a 3 on LSU's next possession, and Missouri was not able to get within four points after that.

Craig Victor scored 10 points for LSU, which closed out its home schedule with an 8-1 conference record in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

LSU took the lead for good when Victor's jumper made it 4-2 a little more than two minutes into the game. LSU had its first double-digit lead when Brandon Sampson's layup made it 21-10 just more than 10 minutes in.

Sampson's 3 shortly after capped a 16-4 run that seemed to mark the onset of a runaway victory for LSU.

Mizzou's flurry of first-half turnovers included Simmons' steal that led directly to LSU's first 20-point lead on Victor's jumper in the final minute of the opening half.