After not making a 3-pointer -- or a shot outside the paint -- in the first half, LSU was buoyed by six 3s in the second and got 22 points from freshman forward Ben Simmons and held off a wild Georgia rally, 89-85 in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

The Bulldogs rallied from a 13-point deficit with two minutes remaining, pulling within one on a 3-pointer by guard J.J Frazier with 25 seconds left at 84-83 before forward E'Torrion Wiridge's potential game-winner clanked off the back rim.

The pace halted throughout a foul-plagued second half when 36 fouls were called. Their team clinging to a five-point lead amid the whistles, LSU guards Keith Hornsby and Jalyn Patterson buried 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to give the Tigers what seemed to be a comfortable eight-point lead with five minutes to go.

LSU went to the free-throw line 55 times, connecting on 37 of those attempts. Simmons and guard Tim Quarterman combined to make 23 free throws, almost equaling the number of attempts the Bulldogs took (24 with 15 made) in the entire game.

Simmons, Quarterman and forward Craig Victor scored all but six of the team's 33 points in the sluggish first half, but the Tigers still were able to take a 33-30 lead into halftime.

Quarterman, who finished with 22, made LSU's first shot outside the paint -- a 3-pointer with 16:10 to go in the game that broke a 39-all tie and started an 8-2 run, giving LSU a lead it wouldn't relinquish.

Frazier led all scorers with 26 to lead Georgia while guard Kenny Gaines had 20 and guard Charles Mann chipped in 19.