LSU-Butler: Marcus Thornton Leads Tigers to 75-71 Win; Top Seed UNC Awaits

LSU opened the game on a 9-0 run and ended the game making free throws, and LSU senior guard Marcus Thornton put on a show in the middle. Thornton scored 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting to lead LSU to a 75-71 win over Butler in the opening round of the NCAA Tourney.

It wasn't easy, as Butler fought back to take a lead midway through the second half. LSU and Thornton would not be denied, however.

Chris Johnson, a senior, turned to Thornton and said, "I don't want this to be my last game."

"As a fellow senior, I know how he felt," Thornton said. "I just put it in my head to dive for loose balls, do everything I could to make sure we came through the victors." 

"Obviously we played well in spurts," LSU head coach Trent Johnson said. "We got off to a great start and then hit a wall where shots didn't go down for us. We found a way to win a game and found a way to make some plays down the stretch."

LSU shot 49 percent from the field, 43 percent on 6-of-14 shooting from the three-point line, and made 15-of-21 free throws. Additionally, LSU forced 15 turnovers and blocked eight shots. 

One blocked shot by senior center Chris Johnson was key, according to junior forward Tasmin Mitchell. "Coach always emphasized defense. He said defense wins championships, offense wins games. This is a championship season. And this whole tournament, the defense is going to come out key in every game. So that (Johnson's blocked shot) was a big play. Chris made it and the defense did come into play."

Next up for the eighth-seeded Tigers are the UNC Tar Heels, the No. 1 seed in the South region. LSU is certain to be the underdog.

"I like being the underdog," Thornton said. "A lot of people don't know about us. Why not show it on the big stage?"  

UNC will provide a tough matchup for LSU, but UNC may have a difficult time finding someone to check Thornton and Tasmin Mitchell. Thornton is the SEC player of the year and can score from anywhere on the floor. Mitchell is an experienced player with good size who can post up down low and take his man out to the three-point line and hit shots.

Look for a close, hard-fought, physical game, and for LSU somehow, some way to find a way to make enough plays to get the win.