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Randle's late shot leads Kentucky past LSU in OT

Feb 23, 2014 - 7:07 AM Lexington, KY (SportsNetwork.com) - Julius Randle's hook shot with 3.9 seconds left lifted No. 18 Kentucky to a 77-76 overtime win against LSU on Saturday.

Trailing by one, James Young stepped to the line for Kentucky (21-6, 11-3 SEC) and calmly knocked down a pair of free throws to give the Wildcats a lead with 24.7 seconds left.

Andre Stringer answered with a coast-to-coast layup that rattled in to push the lead back to LSU (16-10, 7-7).

Young drove as time winded down, lost possession in the lane when Randle scooped up the loose ball and converted the game-winning attempt.

"That was a basketball game," Randle said. "James was being aggressive just like he was the whole game. He did a great job getting into the paint. If he put it on the rim, I was going to get it. They had been trying to box me out the whole game. Luckily, that one fell right into my hands."

Stringer turned the ball over on the ensuing LSU possession and Kentucky held on.

Aaron Harrison paced the Wildcats with 21 points and Young chipped in with 20. Randle finished with eight points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Kentucky has won six of its last seven games since an 87-82 loss to LSU in Baton Rouge on Jan. 28.

Anthony Hickey and Johnny O'Bryant III netted 20 points apiece in the setback, with the latter adding 12 rebounds.

"This is a big stage. We fought all the way to the end," Hickey said. "You've got to give credit to Kentucky and Julius Randle on that last play. Big players step up at the end and that's what he did."

The Tigers have lost three of their last four games.

Kentucky was in front by two when Hickey hit a deep 3-pointer with 1:45 remaining in regulation. Andrew Harrison missed two jumpers on the following possessions for the Wildcats and Stringer split a pair at the line to make it a two-point game.

Shavon Coleman fouled Harrison with 11.6 seconds left and he hit both free throws to send it to the extra session.

Hickey's jumper with 0.6 seconds left was off the mark and five additional minutes were needed to decide this SEC clash.

O'Bryant scored the first six points of the game to stake LSU to an early lead. Kentucky then ripped off 13 straight with the Harrison twins scoring eight points combined during the spurt.

Hickey's 3-pointer tied the game at 15-15 midway through the first, but Kentucky regained the lead for the remainder of the period.

Coleman knocked down a four-point play with just over a minute left to close the scoring in the first and cut the LSU deficit to 35-32 at half.

Game Notes

Kentucky shot 1-for-9 from beyond the arc and LSU made 7-of-17 attempts from deep ... The Wildcats owned a 43-40 edge in rebounds ... Jordan Mickey finished with 11 points and nine rebounds in defeat.