Will Wade's LSU Homecoming Comes Down to the Wire as Tigers Stun UCF Late, 85-81

BATON ROUGE, La. — Donovan Dent delivered the go-ahead basket with eight seconds remaining before Mouhamed Dioubate forced a turnover and scored on the other end, lifting LSU to a thrilling 85-81 victory over UCF on Wednesday night in Will Wade's first home game since returning as the Tigers' head coach.

In a back-and-forth exhibition featuring 13 lead changes and 11 ties, LSU overcame an eight-point second-half deficit before relying on two of its most experienced transfers to secure the victory in the closing seconds.

Dent nearly recorded a triple-double, finishing with 21 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds, three steals and three blocks while shooting 7-of-13 from the field.

Abdi Bashir Jr. provided another major offensive spark, scoring a game-high 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including six 3-pointers. The Auburn transfer played all 40 minutes after struggling in LSU's previous exhibition against McNeese.

Michael Ruzic and Dioubate added 15 points apiece, with Ruzic collecting a game-high 13 rebounds and four blocks.

Despite playing with just six available players, LSU shot 49.2% from the field and 38.5% from beyond the arc while recording 15 assists and committing 11 turnovers.

However, the Tigers struggled at the free-throw line, converting just 15 of their 27 attempts (55.6%), while UCF held a 45-38 rebounding advantage.

The victory improved LSU to 2-0 in exhibition play, but it was far from comfortable.

LSU Starts Fast Before UCF Takes Control

LSU opened the game with plenty of energy, particularly from Ruzic, who provided an immediate spark with a pair of dunks and a 3-pointer.

Dent also made his presence felt offensively before freshman Jordan Bender connected on a 3-pointer to give the Tigers a 24-15 advantage midway through the opening half.

However, the momentum quickly shifted.

LSU went nearly four minutes without a field goal as UCF capitalized with a 13-1 run to erase the deficit.

The Knights eventually reclaimed the lead behind strong perimeter shooting from Jacob Asemota, Carmelo Pacheco and Arturo Dean.

Asemota connected on consecutive 3-pointers late in the half, including one with 14 seconds remaining that extended UCF's advantage to 47-42.

Dent answered with a basket and a free throw just before halftime, trimming LSU's deficit to 47-45.

Despite shooting an impressive 58.6% from the field in the opening half, LSU struggled to contain UCF's perimeter shooting.

The Knights knocked down nine of their 19 attempts from beyond the arc (47.4%), allowing them to overcome LSU's efficient offensive performance.

Bashir Sparks Second-Half Comeback

UCF carried its momentum into the second half, opening with a 6-0 run to extend its lead to 53-45 less than three minutes into the period.

However, Bashir provided the offensive spark LSU desperately needed.

After connecting on a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to five, Bashir continued attacking UCF's defense as the Tigers began chipping away at the Knights' advantage.

He eventually connected on consecutive 3-pointers, including one with 13:53 remaining that gave LSU a 60-58 lead.

Although UCF briefly reclaimed the advantage, Bashir answered with another 3-pointer before Bender followed with one of his own.

A layup from Bashir and a free throw from Dent eventually extended LSU's advantage to 69-62, completing an impressive turnaround.

Bashir later knocked down another 3-pointer with 7:05 remaining to give the Tigers a 72-65 lead.

His performance represented a significant improvement from LSU's previous exhibition against McNeese, when he shot just 1-of-12 from the field.

However, the Tigers struggled to maintain their advantage as UCF began mounting another comeback.

Dior Johnson, who led the Knights with 18 points, scored several baskets down the stretch, including consecutive layups that gave UCF a 75-74 advantage with 3:37 remaining.

The final minutes featured several lead changes before Dioubate and Dent combined to put LSU ahead 81-79 with 46 seconds remaining.

Johnson answered with a layup at the 34-second mark, tying the game and setting up a dramatic finish.

With the game hanging in the balance, LSU turned to Dent.

The New Mexico transfer attacked the basket and converted a layup with eight seconds remaining, giving the Tigers an 83-81 advantage.

Dioubate then forced a turnover on UCF's ensuing possession and converted an uncontested layup with four seconds remaining to seal the victory.

LSU Overcomes Limited Depth

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of LSU's victory was its ability to overcome a significant disadvantage in available players.

With several Tigers still awaiting eligibility clearance, Wade relied almost exclusively on his starting five.

Bashir played all 40 minutes, while Ruzic, Dent and Divine Ugochukwu each logged more than 38 minutes.

Bender was LSU's only reserve to see action, contributing six points on two 3-pointers in just over 10 minutes.

UCF, meanwhile, utilized a much deeper rotation and outscored LSU 37-6 in bench points while holding an 18-7 advantage in second-chance scoring.

Despite those disadvantages, the Tigers made several important defensive adjustments after halftime.

After allowing UCF to shoot 47.4% from beyond the arc in the opening half, LSU held the Knights to just 2-of-13 shooting (15.4%) from 3-point range over the final 20 minutes.

UCF also shot just 36.8% from the field in the second half after scoring 47 points before halftime.

The Tigers also limited their turnovers, committing just four in the second half after recording seven in the opening period.

For Wade, the victory provided an encouraging homecoming at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, even if LSU remains a work in progress.

The Tigers still have several areas to address before their Nov. 3 regular-season opener against LSU New Orleans, particularly their free-throw shooting, rebounding and defensive consistency.

But on Wednesday night, LSU demonstrated its ability to overcome adversity and execute when it mattered most.