Cam Carter scored 26 points and LSU warmed up in the second half to beat Florida State 85-75 Tuesday night in the SEC/ACC Challenge.
Jordan Sears added 21 points and Vyctorius Miller 15 for the Tigers (7-1), who shot 57% in the second half after a 35% first half. They made 6 of 13 3-point tries in the final half after starting 3 of 14. Corey Chest grabbed 10 rebounds.
Six-foot-10 Jalen Reed, LSU’s leading rebounder and a double-figure scorer, left the game in the opening minutes with an apparent leg injury.
Malique Ewin scored 17 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to lead the Seminoles (7-2), who shot 39%. Jamir Watkins added 15 points, Chandler Jackson 12 and Jerry Deng 11.
Trailing by three, LSU scored the first eight points of the second half, Carter tying the game with a 3-pointer and beginning a 14-3 run that Miller capped with a 3-pointer six minutes into the period.
A Dji Bailey bucket on a goaltending call gave LSU the game's first double-digit lead at 66-56 with 6:38 to go. About three minutes later, it was 12 after a Miller 3-pointer and Carter bucket. Deng cut the lead with consecutive 3-pointers but a Daimion Collins layup followed by eight straight points from Carter, including a pair of dunks, kept LSU out of danger.
Florida State led 35-32 at halftime behind 13 points from Ewin.
FSU opens its ACC season on Saturday at NC State. LSU is host to FGCU on Sunday
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