BATON ROUGE — Anthony Hickey scored 20 points, Andre Stringer added 18 and LSU defeated No. 17 Missouri 73-70 on Wednesday night.
Hickey had 14 points in the second half and Stringer converted a key four-point play late in the game for LSU (11-7, 2-5).
Phil Pressey scored 25 for Missouri (15-5, 4-3), which has lost all four of its games on the opposing team’s home court this season. Jabari Brown added 19 points and Laurence Bowers had 10. Bowers played for the first time in three weeks because of a knee injury.
The victory was the first for LSU against a ranked SEC team since it beat Florida 66-56 six seasons ago.
Missouri, which trailed by as many as 16 early in the second half, pulled to within 61-58 on a basket by Pressey with 3:37 left. Two possessions later, Stringer made his fourth three-pointer. He wasfouled on the shot and hit the free throw.
Missouri scored five consecutive points on a basket by Tony Criswell and Brown’s fourth three-pointer of the night. Hickey made 1 of 2 free throws with 49 seconds to play to give LSU a 66-63 lead.
Pressey missed a potential tying three-pointer on Missouri’s next possession. Stringer grabbed the rebound and was promptly fouled. Stringer hit both free throws to put LSU ahead 68-63 with 38 seconds remaining.
Earnest Ross kept Missouri in the game by connecting on a three-pointer just 6 seconds later. On the ensuing inbounds play, Johnny O’Bryant broke loose for a layup. Pressey answered with a layup that leftMissouri trailing 70-68 with 23 seconds remaining.
O’Bryant, who had missed five of his previous nine free throws, made two from the line to give LSU another fourpoint lead, 72-68, but Pressey came back with a driving layup with 14 seconds to play.
Shavon Coleman converted one of two free throws to give Missouri another chance at tying the score, but Pressey missed a three-pointer. Coleman rebounded and was fouled with 4 seconds remaining. He missed both free throws, but Missouri was unable to get off another shot.
O’Bryant had 14 points and 11 rebounds.
NO. 4 FLORIDA 75, SOUTH CAROLINA 36
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Kenny Boynton and Mike Rosario scored 15 points each as No. 4 Florida (17-2, 7-0) dominated South Carolina (12-8, 2-5).
The Gators, who won their ninth consecutive game, led 33-10 at halftime and made their first five shots after the break. They opened a 31-point lead that seemingly couldn’t get any more lopsided, but it did.
Michael Carrera led South Carolina with 13 points and nine rebounds.
GEORGIA 57, AUBURN 49
ATHENS, Ga. - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to help Georgia (9-11, 3-4) beat Auburn (8-12, 2-5).
It marked the Bulldogs’ third victory in four games.
Frankie Sullivan and Allen Payne finished with 13 points each for Auburn. The Tigers, who have dropped five in a row, matched their season-low in points.
Chris Denson added 12 points for Auburn.
TEXAS A&M 55, MISSISSIPPI STATE 49, OT
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Fabyon Harris scored 17 points, Elston Turner added 11 and Texas A&M (13-7, 3-4) rallied past Mississippi State (7-12, 2-5) for an overtime victory.
Gavin Ware led the Bulldogs with 14 points.
Sports, Pages 22 on 01/31/2013