LSU 71, South Carolina 68: Freshman Jarell Martin scored a career-high 18 points as the visiting Tigers held on to end a two-game losing streak and earn their first SEC victory.

Fellow freshman Jordan Mickey and Johnny O'Bryant III each scored 13 points for LSU (10-4, 1-1), which saw a 14-point second-half lead evaporate to four inside the final minute. Martin finished 5-of-6 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line, and contributed five steals.

Freshman Sindarius Thornwell led all scorers with a career-high 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting for the Gamecocks (7-8, 0-2), who have lost two in a row following a four-game winning streak. South Carolina went more than eight minutes of the second half without a field goal, yet pulled within three on Brenton Williams' 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Williams tied the game at 42 on two free throws with just under 13 minutes to play. LSU pulled ahead with a 22-8 run, getting six points each from Mickey and O’Bryant III as well as two 3-pointers from Andre Stringer, to build a 64-50 advantage with less than six minutes remaining.

Thornwell’s driving dunk with 2:23 remaining ended the Gamecocks’ drought from the field and brought South Carolina within seven while his running shot in the lane 12 seconds later made it 64-59. Williams' 3-pointer with 54 seconds left cut LSU’s lead to 66-62, but the Tigers held on despite shooting 5-of-10 from the free-throw line in the final 47 seconds.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Gamecocks finished with 19 turnovers and have committed 40 turnovers in the past two games. … Williams, who averaged 11.1 points entering Saturday, finished with 11 on 3-of-13 shooting from the field. … LSU recorded 14 steals, helping offset 19 turnovers.