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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 12:06 p.m., Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Arizona St. tops LSU, 87-84, in OT at Maui Invitational

Associated Press

LAHAINA — Jeff Pendergraph scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Arizona State to an 87-84 overtime victory against LSU today in the fifth-place game of the EA Sports Maui Invitational.

The 6-foot-9 junior gave the Sun Devils (2-1) the lead for good with a rebound dunk 1:18 into the overtime.

Marcus Thornton, who had 18 points and 12 rebounds for LSU (3-2), sent the game into overtime with a 3-pointer off an inbounds pass with 2.3 seconds left. He hit another 3 from almost the same spot in front of the Tigers bench with 15 seconds left in overtime to bring LSU within 85-84.

James Harden, the most heralded of Arizona State's three freshmen starters, made two free throws with 6.7 seconds left to make it 87-84.

LSU's Bo Spencer drove in under the basket and kicked the ball out to Garrett Temple for a 3-point attempt at the buzzer but it bounced off the rim. LSU complained there was contact on the play but no foul was called.

Harden finished with 23 points for the Sun Devils, who were making their fifth appearance in the tournament. They won it in 1994.

Freshman forward Anthony Randolph had 21 points for LSU, while Temple had 14 points and seven assists.

Arizona State, which lost to Illinois in the first round, started the game by making six of its first eight attempts from 3-point range and the Sun Devils led by as many as 13 points in the first half. That was it for long-range success, however, as Arizona State finished 6 for 21 from behind the arc, but the Sun Devils were 31 for 62 overall from the field.

LSU, which lost to Oklahoma State in the opening round, closed the first half with a 10-0 run — Temple scored the first seven points — to get within 43-40.

This was the Tigers' third appearance at Maui and their best finish was fourth in 1992.