LSU tops W. Kentucky, heads to NY

• By The Associated Press
• Published: Nov 17, 2009 - UPDATED: 9:38 p.m.

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Bo Spencer scored a career-high 28 points and made a tie-breaking 3-pointer as LSU defeated Western Kentucky 71-60 on Tuesday night.

With the score tied at 57, Spencer knocked in a 3-pointer with 2:48 remaining in the second-round game of the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Tipoff. Following a Hilltoppers offensive foul, Dennis Harris dunked to give the Tigers a five-point lead.

Spencer then picked off a pass and drove for a layup. After grabbing a defensive rebound, Spencer clinched the victory by sinking three foul shots. Spencer, who was 8-for-9 at the foul line, also had seven rebounds and four assists.

Storm Warren had his third straight double-double with a career-high 20 points and 11 rebounds for LSU (3-0), which advanced to the NIT Tipoff semifinals against Connecticut next week. Tasmin Mitchell had 12 points for the Tigers.

Sergio Kerusch led Western Kentucky (1-1) with 25 points. A.J. Slaughter, who scored 30 points on Monday night against Wisconsin-Milwaukee, shot 3-for-17 from the field and finished with 11 points.

Slaughter, who had missed 10 of his previous 11 shots, sank a 3-pointer to put Western Kentucky on top 55-52 with 4:41 to play. Harris tied the score on LSU's next possession with a 3-pointer.

A driving layup by Spencer gave the Tigers a 57-55 lead with 3:43 remaining. After missing two foul shots, Slaughter drove for a basket to tie the score at 57. On the next possession, Spencer made his key 3-pointer.

LSU led for nearly the entire first half, but never had more than a six-point advantage. There were six ties and six lead changes in the first 20 minutes. Western Kentucky took a 30-29 lead into intermission after Jameson Tipping hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

After the Hilltoppers scored the first basket of the game, the Tigers went on a 10-2 run to take their largest advantage of the opening half. Warren made a couple of field goals for LSU. A basket by Harris closed the outburst.

Kerusch, who scored 19 first-half points, then scored seven points during a 9-0 Western Kentucky run. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Spencer lifted the Tigers to a 16-13 lead.

Sparked by five more points from Kerusch, the Hilltoppers came back to tie the score at 20. A 3-pointer by Kerusch put Western Kentucky in front 23-22. After two foul shots by Warren, Kerusch gave the Hilltoppers the lead again with a field goal.

Kerusch tied the score at 27 with two free throws. A basket by Mitchell with 25 seconds remaining in the half gave LSU a 29-27 advantage. Tipping ended a run of nine straight Western Kentucky points by Kerusch with his 3-pointer.

Neither team was able to take larger than a four-point lead in the first 11 minutes of the second half, and there were two ties and seven lead changes during the span. The Tigers had three four-point advantages.