LSU had been making winning look pretty easy. The Tigers opened the season with three victories by 43, 41, and 40 points. But Saturday’s game against No. 14 Gonzaga was a different kind of challenge, and for a while, it looked as though LSU might finally run into a team it couldn’t handle.

Instead, Donovan Dent gave the Tigers a finish they’ll remember. Dent hit a three-pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining to lift LSU to an 81-80 win in Spokane. It completed a comeback from a 13-point second-half deficit and capped a 10-1 run to close the game. Dent finished with 23 points and 10 assists, giving LSU exactly the kind of performance it needed when the game was on the line.

A Different Kind of Test for LSU

There is something to be said for winning games comfortably, but those early blowouts don’t always tell us how a team will respond when things go wrong. Against Gonzaga, LSU got a much better look at that part of its game. The Tigers trailed 68-55 with just over eight minutes remaining. Gonzaga had found its rhythm, and LSU needed more than another scoring run to get back into the contest. It needed patience and some players willing to take responsibility.

Abdi Bashir helped get things moving. He scored all 15 of his points from beyond the arc, including four three-pointers in the second half. Skyy Clark added 14 points, while Michael Ruzic contributed 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Dent then helped bring LSU within one. He scored on a layup, and Clark added two free throws to make it 79-78. After Gonzaga turned the ball over, Dent missed a contested layup, but the Tigers got another opportunity when Davis Fogle missed the second of two free throws with 12.7 seconds left.

That left the door open. Dent took advantage.

Why This Win Could Matter Later

Gonzaga had plenty of reasons to feel disappointed. Braden Huff recorded 18 points and 13 rebounds, and Fogle finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. The Bulldogs had built a comfortable lead, but couldn’t close it out. For LSU, though, this was about more than improving to 4-0. The Tigers have now shown they can win when the game gets tight, and the opponent is ranked.

We shouldn’t make too much of one November result. There’s a long season ahead, and LSU will face plenty of challenges. But a team learns something about itself when it comes back from a 13-point deficit on the road and wins with a shot in the final seconds.

Dent supplied the moment. LSU supplied the comeback. And after three easy wins, the Tigers may have learned something even more valuable about themselves.

Related: Kansas Just Sent College Basketball a Message About Tre White