LSU had its final rehearsal before the season starts, playing an exhibition game with multiple new players recently ruled eligible on Saturday.

Despite having all but two scholarship players available, coach Will Wade’s team fell 89-87 to Florida State Saturday at Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Florida. The new players LSU had available were fifth-year UCLA transfer Skyy Clark and international signees Saliou Niang and Brice Desser. All three entered the starting lineup.

The non-walk-on players sidelined were center Gilad Levy from Israel and Austin Nunez, an injured fifth-year transfer from UTSA.

The Tigers trailed for much of the game but stayed within single digits in the matinee. They had a chance for a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds remaining. However, LSU fifth-year point guard Donovan Dent — who led the team with 24 points and nine assists — threw the ball away on a sideline in-bounds pass to Clark.

Clark had his best showing among the new players. He had 21 points, making 7 of 12 from the 3-point line. The 6-foot-2 combo guard also had eight rebounds, three assists and one steal in 33 minutes.

Dessert, a 6-11 center, played 16 minutes, the least of any LSU player. The 23-year-old from France had 4 points on two field-goal attempts, two rebounds and one block. He also had two fouls and three turnovers.

Niang had five points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal in 24 minutes. The 6-7 wing’s best moment was an alley-oop dunk in the second half.

The LSU team website listed 14 players on its roster Wednesday. In June, that total was four, and it was just 10 players for the McNeese State exhibition game Oct. 8.

Clark obtained eligibility Oct. 16 through a temporary injunction for a fifth year in a Kentucky lawsuit. While he was among the original plaintiffs in the same California eligibility lawsuit that fellow UCLA transfer and Dent is a part of, he signed a request for partial dismissal without prejudice Aug. 13, according to court documents.

The NCAA cleared Dessert and Niang to play for LSU on Tuesday, the same day Dent had his preliminary injunction granted after being eligible previously through a temporary restraining order.

The lone player awaiting eligibility clearance is 7-3 center Levy, 24. He is listed on the Tigers’ 14-player roster after being the last player to commit to the program Aug. 25

There is paperwork still left to be taken care of for Levy, a source with knowledge of the program told The Advocate.

LSU won its two previous exhibition games before facing Florida State. The Tigers beat McNeese State 63-60 on the road Oct. 8 and beat Central Florida 85-81 at home Oct. 14.

The next time they take the court will be the season opener against LSU New Orleans Nov. 3 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.