OU tops LSU in NIT

Freshmen Brandon Foust and Drew Lavender combined to score 34 points as Oklahoma beat L-S-U 70-to-61 in the first round of the N-I-T. <br><br>Foust scored 19, Lavender had 15 and Johnnie Gilbert added

Thursday, March 18th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Freshmen Brandon Foust and Drew Lavender combined to score 34 points as Oklahoma beat L-S-U 70-to-61 in the first round of the N-I-T.

Foust scored 19, Lavender had 15 and Johnnie Gilbert added eleven for the Sooners last night as they picked up their 20th win of the season. Oklahoma has seven straight 20-win seasons.

Foust has set career highs for points in back-to-back games after seeing limited action in the regular season.

He's received more playing time since Jabahri Brown was suspended from the team with two games left in the regular season.

L-S-U closed its season on a free fall after All-S-E-C forward Jaime Lloreda was injured. The Tigers lost seven of their final eight games to finish at 18-and-eleven.

Antonio Hudson led L-S-U with 16 points and Brandon Bass had 14 points and ten rebounds.