Cam Carter leads LSU past Florida State

Cam Carter scored 26 points and LSU earned an 85-75 victory over Florida State in the SEC/ACC Challenge on Tuesday night in Baton Rouge, La.

Jordan Sears scored 21 points, Vyctorius Miller added 15 and Carter also had eight rebounds for the Tigers (7-1).

Malique Ewin finished with 17 points and 17 rebounds, Jamir Watkins scored 15 points, Chandler Jackson added 12 and Jerry Deng 11 to lead the Seminoles (7-2).

Jaylen Reed, the Tigers’ third-leading scorer and leading rebounder, sat out the game after less than two minutes with a lower leg injury.

Carter made a 3-pointer to cap off the second half and spark an 8-0 run that gave LSU a 40-35 lead.

Ewin’s layup gave the Seminoles their first points after nearly three minutes, but three points from Sears and Miller helped the Tigers extend the lead to nine points.

Deng made a 3-pointer and Ewin added a basket, but Sears responded with five straight points to give LSU a 54-45 lead.

Florida State cut the deficit to four points three times after that, but Sears scored six straight LSU points and Dji Bailey added a basket that gave the Tigers a 66-56 lead with 6:38 to play.

Justin Thomas answered with a three-point play and the Seminoles got within seven points a second time, but Miller made a three-pointer and Carter added a layup with 3:04 left to make it 74-62 to take the lead.

Deng made two 3-pointers to cut the lead to six, but LSU made several baskets to regain control.

The game was tied three times in the first half before Carter converted a three-point play and Sears added a three-pointer to give LSU a 15-9 lead.

Florida State scored the next six points to break another tie, and it was tied four more times before an Ewin layup and a jumper and a 3-pointer from Jackson completed the 9-0 run and the gave the Seminoles a 30-23 lead.

Sears’ 3-pointer broke the losing streak and the Tigers made four free throws to get within 35-32 at halftime. Florida State didn’t score a field goal in the final three minutes.

–Field level media