COLLEGE BASKETBALL / NCAA MEN’S TOURNAMENT : WEST REGIONAL : LSU Gets Fast Start Out of Blocks, 94-83

Shaquille O’Neal blocked Brigham Young’s path in the NCAA tournament.

O’Neal scored 26 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked an NCAA tournament-record 11 shots as Louisiana State defeated BYU, 94-83, Thursday night in the first round of the West Regional.

“I just kept my feet and when the shot went up I went after it,” O’Neal said. “Ever since I got here I’ve been hearing ‘Watch the fakes.’

“When I called my mom, she said, ‘Watch the fakes.’ I talked to my brother and it was, ‘Watch the fakes.’ Even my dad said, ‘Watch the fakes.’

“And in the locker room before the game Coach (Dale) Brown ended it by saying, ‘Watch the fakes.’ After I got that first foul (in the opening minute), I said, ‘Shaq, watch the fakes.’ ”

Maurice Williamson added 30 points as LSU (21-9) held off BYU (25-7) despite nine second-half three-point baskets by the Cougars.

After BYU pulled to within 79-75 on Mark Heslop’s three-point basket with 3:02 left, LSU made 11 of 12 free throws and outscored BYU, 15-8, the rest of the way.

LSU will meet Indiana, a 94-55 winner Thursday over Eastern Illinois, in a second-round game Saturday. LSU Coach Dale Brown will face Indiana’s Bob Knight for the first time since the 1987 Midwest Regional final, when Knight’s telephone-slamming tirade ignited an Indiana comeback that resulted in a one-point Hoosier victory.

After the game, Brown called Knight “a bully.” Indiana went on to win the national championship.

Against BYU, O’Neal scored 19 of his points in the second half, including 10 during a 5:32 span, as the Tigers extended a 62-60 lead to a 79-72 edge with 3:26 to play.

BYU got within 79-75 on its next possession, but LSU scored seven consecutive points on free throws to close out the game.

O’Neal broke the mark of 10 blocks by 7-foot-6 Shawn Bradley of Brigham Young against Virginia in a first-round game last season.

Kevin Nixon scored 16 points, Nick Sanderson added 15, and Nathan Call and Heslop had 14 each for BYU.

Indiana 94, Eastern Illinois 55--Damon Bailey and Alan Henderson each scored 14 points in the first half as the Hoosiers blew open a 31-point lead in the opening 18 1/2 minutes en route to the victory.

Indiana (24-6) scored the first 10 points, sputtered briefly, then buried the Mid-Continent tournament champions with a 21-0 run late in the first half.

Eastern Illinois (17-14), in its first NCAA tournament appearance, went 6 1/2 minutes without a field goal during the run.

Henderson finished with 19 points and Bailey 18. Barry Johnson scored 11 and Steve Rowe 10 for the Panthers.

Indiana led, 56-27, at halftime. Eastern Illinois never came close to mounting a threat in the second half, although Knight did get riled on the sidelines a few times when his team failed to build on the big margin.

Georgetown 75, South Florida 60--Alonzo Mourning scored 21 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked six shots as the Hoyas defeated the Bulls.

“(South Florida’s defense) was pretty much typical, the collapsing back,” Mourning said. “I just had to react and keep kicking it back out to my teammates and they just set up for open shots. My teammates read it well and got their shots on the perimeter.”

Despite squandering most of a 40-27 lead, the Hoyas (22-9) outscored South Florida, 14-2, over the final 3:40, making 12 of 14 free throws down the stretch.

South Florida (19-10) tried to double- and triple-team Mourning, but the Hoyas opened a 40-27 lead by making six of their first eight three-point shots.

Radenko Dobras scored 16 points and Fred Lewis and Gary Alexander each added 14 for South Florida, which was unable to contain Mourning with no player taller than 6-7.

Florida State 78, Montana 68--Sam Cassell scored 23 points, eight in the final three minutes, as the Seminoles held on to beat the Grizzlies.

Florida State (21-9) used a harassing defense to take control midway through the first half and build a 23-point lead with 13:47 left.

Montana (27-4) came back behind the scoring of Delvon Anderson and Roger Fasting and cut the lead to 72-66 on Fasting’s three-point basket with a minute left.

Doug Edwards made four free throws and Cassell made a layup after a turnover to get Florida State out of trouble.

Five players scored in double figures for the Seminoles, who meet Georgetown in the second round.

Bob Sura, named the Atlantic Coast Conference freshman of the year earlier in the day, scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half for Florida State. Rodney Dobard scored 14, Chuck Graham 13 and Edwards 12 for the Seminoles.