Kidd, Cal Beat LSU in Final Second, 66-64

Freshman Jason Kidd had only one thing in mind Thursday night with time running out in California’s first-round Midwest Regional game against Louisiana State.

“That was going to the hole,” Kidd said after his twisting, driving layup with one second to play gave the sixth-seeded Golden Bears (20-8) a 66-64 victory, their seventh in a row and 10th in 11 games since Coach Lou Campanelli was fired Feb. 8.

Kidd, the Pacific 10 Conference freshman of the year, got the ball 30 feet out on the left wing with seven seconds to play. He beat Jamie Brandon down the lane and banked the winning shot high off the glass over 7-foot Geert Hammink.

“It was kind of a pretzel shot,” LSU Coach Dale Brown said. “Normally those shots don’t go in. I don’t know how he did it.”

Kidd, who became the nation’s all-time freshman steals leader earlier in the game, finished with 16 points. Lamond Murray had 23 to lead the Golden Bears (20-8), playing their first game since Todd Bozeman, 29, was given a multiyear contract extension.

The Tigers (22-11) were led by Brandon’s 17 points.

Kidd added seven assists, seven rebounds and five steals.

Kidd’s first steal of the game made him the NCAA’s all-time freshman steals leader, surpassing the 97 that Connecticut’s Nadev Henefeld had in 1989-90.

“All year long we’ve had different adversities, and the guys have found a way to pull it out, found ways to find something positive out of negative situations,” said Bozeman, who has never been a head coach and was primarily a recruiter in his three seasons at Cal.

Cal plays two-time defending champion Duke on Saturday.

“I hope this’ll help Cal, but I don’t think they have a prayer against Duke,” said Brown, who has been openly critical of Campanelli’s dismissal.

“I heard Coach Brown’s comments,” Bozeman said. “No one thought that we would even get to the tournament, so therefore we could not care less about what Coach Brown feels about us.”