Atlanta, GA -- (Sports Network) - Devan Downey scored 12 points, dished out 11 assists and grabbed six rebounds, and South Carolina held off LSU, 77-73, in the opening round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament at the Georgia Dome.

Mike Holmes and Evaldas Baniulis scored 16 points apiece for the Gamecocks (14-17), who advanced to take on top-seeded and fourth-ranked Tennessee in a quarterfinal matchup Friday at 1:00 p.m. (et).

Freshman Anthony Randolph led LSU (13-18) with 22 points and nine boards, while Chris Johnson went for 13 and 13. Marcus Thornton totaled 17 points and seven rebounds, but the Tigers turned the ball over 19 times and ended their season on a two-game losing streak.

Thornton's three had LSU ahead 57-56 with 7:15 remaining, but the Gamecocks used a 15-2 surge, capped by back-to-back threes from Zam Fredrick and Downey, to open up a 71-59 advantage with under three minutes left.

LSU got within three when Alex Farrer buried a triple with 20 ticks on the clock, and the Gamecocks left the door open by missing free throws down the stretch. But Thornton's three-point heave clanged off the back iron, and Fredrick came up with a steal and then hit one from the line to ice it.

Fredrick totaled 12 points despite shooting just 5-of-14 from the floor, while Dominique Archie added 15 points and six rebounds for the Gamecocks.

The score was knotted at 15-15 midway through the opening half, but the Gamecocks mounted a 12-4 run capped by Archie's bucket in transition to take a 27-19 advantage with 7:17 left in the half. South Carolina extended its lead to as much as 10, but LSU closed the half on an 8-2 spurt and trailed just 37-34 at the break.

The Tigers scored eight of the first 10 second-half points out of the locker room to take a 42-39 lead, and the advantage switched hands for most of the next 10 minutes.