(8) LSU 75, (9) Butler 71
Senior guard Marcus Thornton dominated for No. 8 LSU, which held off No. 9 Butler 75-71 to move into the second round. LSU started hot, scoring the first nine points of the game and holding the Bulldogs without a field goal for six minutes. However, Butler rallied, closing the gap to six at the halftime. Willie Veasley gave Butler its first lead of the game on an alley-oop. The teams traded the lead until the Tigers broke a 58-58 tie and started a 9-3 run. Butler made back-to-back three-pointers to keep the game interesting, but the Tigers made eight free throws in the final minute to hold on for the win.
