Xavier presented LSU with more across-the-board size and physicality than the Tigers have seen all year in an 80-70 Musketeers win. That would make the LSU guard's second straight 30-point game - Thornton was 10-for-18 from the floor and 3-for-7 from 3-point range - that much more impressive.

When it was over, Xavier coach Sean Miller opined that Thornton and LSU teammate Tasmin Mitchell were future NBA players. And Thornton was walking away impressed by the physicality of a team that starts a pair of 6-6, 225-pound wings in B.J. Raymond and C.J. Anderson.

"This is the most physical team we've played so far," Thornton said. "They were big and strong in every position."

Which made how Thornton scored his points that much more remarkable.

Thornton, who had his fourth 30-point game of the season and increased his scoring average to a team-best 18.9 a game, is known as a 3-point bomber. But on Saturday, he got more mileage out of taking the ball to the basket, often by curling off screens and driving to the basket where he'd finish with plenty of contact. Sometimes he'd get the foul - he was 7-for-10 at the free throw line - sometimes he'd just have to take the contact.

Some of them were just flat-out tough.

"Some of the shots he made, we didn't necessarily have an answer," Miller said. "We knew that coming in."

The degree of difficulty is something LSU coach Trent Johnson can live with.

"You want them to be aggressive and not be afraid to make a play," Johnson said. "This group didn't play looking afraid and timid."

With LSU's biggest crowd in recent seasons in the house, including ESPN and NBA scouts, Thornton wasn't timid and he was making his shots. Just not enough for a win.

"We knew coming into the game that Xavier is a tough, physical team. They showed that tonight. They executed down the stretch and they came out with a win at the end."

Fans pack PMAC

LSU sold 13,839 tickets for Saturday's game against Xavier, the most since LSU reconfigured the Pete Maravich Assembly Center to hold fewer fans than it used to.

The PMAC seats 13,215 fans. the previous best was 13,468 tickets sold for a Jan. 25, 2006 game against Georgia.

The actual attendance was 12,806.

And the crowd was loud.

"It was wonderful," LSU forward Tasmin Mitchell said. "We needed them tonight. They backed us up when we were up and down. That's what a big crowd does for a home team. We don't have that every night. I'm sorry we couldn't pull out a victory for them, but there will be more to come."

Miller was impressed.

"There was an incredibly hostile crowd here and probably the best we've played in front of in almost two years and we've played in front of some big ones. I think for us to come in and do what we did says a lot about our team," he said.

Special guests

Among those in attendance were New Orleans Hornets all-star guard Chris Paul and teammate James Posey, a former Xavier player. David West, another Xavier alum with the Hornets, had back spasms and did not attend.

Posey, who has been on two NBA title teams, stood and cheered for Xavier several times, causing him to get heckled by the LSU students. "Sit down Posey," they'd chant.

Former Southern coach Ben Jobe, who is now a scout for the New York Knicks, also was in attendance, sitting on press row.