40 years ago tonight #11 seed LSU upset #2 seed Georgia Tech, 70-64 in the SE Regional

for the : tl,dr crowd --exit now!

One of the many amazing wins for an amazing team that year. After starting the season 14-0 and ranked as high as #8 in the polls, LSU was truly "one of the last 4 in" before that was a thing. The team was beset with distractions as Nikita Wilson missing the Spring semester due to academics and a 'chicken pox' out break that caused some rearranging of the schedule and a few games with little to no bench. LSU limped into Lexington for the SEC Tournament having lost 4 of its last 11 including a 68-57 regular season finale loss to Kentucky at Rupp Arena a few days earlier.

LSU really "had" to win its first game vs Florida. Counting SEC Tournament games, two NITs and 3 NCAA tournaments, LSU had not won a post season tournament game since the 1981 Midwest Regional final over Wichita State. LSU beat a respectable Florida team (that was in search of its FIRST NCAA trip) 72-66. Next up was #1 seed Kentucky who had already beaten LSU twice. LSU led most of the game and held 56-51 lead with 2:00 left. Kentucky ended the game on a 10-2 run and eked out a 61-58 win. LSU's John Williams to this date remains the only team to win the SEC Tourney MVP award without participating in the title game.

Not only did LSU slip into the tournament, they would play in the Southeast Regional in Baton Rouge,LA at the Assembly Center. First #6 Purdue fell and then #3 Memphis State fell and it was on to Atlanta and #2 Georgia Tech.

After the 1984 season the NCAA outlawed 'host teams' playing in the regionals on their home court. (As in LSU's case home teams would continue to be able to host and play in first and second round games for another two years) But the SE Regional was at the Omni, not Alexander Memorial Coliseum where Tech played.)

In game one Kentucky defeated Alabama, 68-63 for the Wildcats' fourth win over the Tide that year. Next up LSU had preseason #1 Georgia Tech. Tech who finished second in the ACC and was 27-6 had a fine team but not the dominating team many had predicted. Still they were big favorites over LSU.

The game was a dogfight the whole way with LSU leading 36-30 at halftime. But the second half was back and forth with Georgia Tech taking a four point lead with 6 minutes left. Trailing 56-52, LSU went on a 10-2 run to go ahead 62-58 and never trailed again. With Tech trapping at the one minute mark down by four Williams found Ricky Blanton alone under the basket for an easy basket (similar to what would happen two days later.) LSU played only 7 players who played more than one minute. Don Redden had 27 and Derrick Taylor had 23. LSU won 70-64 and would face Kentucky for the fourth time with a trip to Dallas and the Final Four on the line.