Auburn coach Bruce Pearl won his 500th career game as his club held off visiting LSU 78-74 victory Wednesday at Auburn (Ala.) Arena.

Freshman guard Mustapha Heron and senior guard T.J. Dunans each scored 12 points to lead four Auburn starters in double figures.

LSU (9-8, 1-5 SEC) lost its fourth straight.

LSU junior forward Aaron Epps scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for his second career double-double. Epps hit a late 3-pointer that gave LSU life. Junior guard Jayln Patterson followed with a 3-pointer that had LSU within two with 55 seconds to play.

But Dunans answered with a late jumper, and sophomore Horace Spencer sealed the win with a breakaway dunk for Auburn (12-6, 2-4), which bounced back from a 20-point loss to No. 6 Kentucky.

Auburn built a double-digit lead early in the second half and was up 15 after a 3-pointer from Bryce Brown. But LSU wouldn't go quietly.

Junior center Elbert Robinson cut the Auburn lead to 59-57 on an offensive rebound and putback with seven minutes to play.

LSU led 28-20 after a layup by Antonio Blakeney with 7:17 left in the first half. Auburn scored the next 13 points, a run highlighted by a two-handed stuff by freshman center Austin Wiley. LSU went close to five minutes without scoring, before Robinson hit a layup with 1:21 left in the first half to end the drought.

Auburn closed the half with a 15-4 run and led 35-32 at intermission. Heron had 11 points and four rebounds in the first half to lead Auburn.

Auburn was without freshman forward Danjel Purifoy, the team's leading scorer, who sat out with an ankle injury sustained in a Jan. 7 game against Ole Miss. Purifoy missed the last three games, but Pearl expects him back soon.

LSU travels to Arkansas on Saturday. Auburn hosts Alabama on Saturday.