Feb. 6, 2015
 KT Harrell comes through for Auburn at LSU | ||||||||||||||||
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By Charles Goldberg
AuburnTigers.com
Want to know how to win your first road game of the season? Have the combo of KT Harrell and Antoine Mason fill up the stat sheet with 52 points and eight 3-pointers and get contributions up and down the roster.
That's what Auburn did Thursday night in an 81-77 win over LSU in the Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge that wasn't decided until the final second.
"I'm glad it happened. The key is to build on that," said Harrell.
Harrell hit five 3-pointers and scored 28 points and Antoine Mason hit three 3-pointers and scored 24. Cinmeon Bowers had his 13th double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 and rebounds. Coach Bruce Pearl said the Tigers got plenty of help from others as well.
"This is probably the best game they played together," Pearl said on the post-game radio show. "We play our best when everybody contributes.
"When that happens, it gives a team just confidence there a few more options out there."
Auburn improved to 11-11 overall and 3-6 in the league. LSU fell to 16-6 overall and 5-4 in the SEC.
"The kids haven't quit. They have character. They had heart...tonight they represented Auburn," Pearl said.
Auburn led for 32½ minutes. LSU led for just five minutes. But it was close to the end. LSU had the ball with a chance to tie or go ahead with 2.6 seconds left. The game wasn't decided, for sure, until Mason hit two free throws with a second left.
"This was Antoine Mason's best game offensively," Pearl said. "He's a scorer, and tonight he got himself in a little bit of a rhythm. It was great joy in his game out there tonight. He went a long way to win a game for his team."
Auburn was outrebounded and was outscored in the paint. But the Tigers were on target from long range, hitting 9-of-20 3-point shots. LSU hit 4-of-17.
"Everything just seemed like it was flowing," Mason said. "We just wanted to build off practice."
Auburn will go for its second straight win against Ole Miss at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in Auburn Arena.
"I know Auburn Arena will be jumping," Pearl said.
Charles Goldberg is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @AUGoldMine