Da Boot Sports
12/9/2023
By: Jason Watson Jr.


   Baton Rouge, LA- LSU’s men’s basketball team suffered their fourth season defeat, this time against the Kansas State Wildcats by a score of 75-60. With the loss, Matt McMahon’s squad fell to 5-4 early in the year. 

   Kansas State guard Cam Carter tore through a lackluster Tiger defense in the first half, accounting for 19 of the Cats’ 42 points through the first twenty minutes. Carter would finish the game with 21 PTS, enough to finish with the game-high. 

   Junior forward Arthur Kaluma tallied up a double-double, going for 17 points and ten boards while aiding in the Kansas St. victory. The Wildcats moved up in the Big 12 conference rankings with the win. They moved to 8-2 overall. 

​   LSU’s senior guard led the home team with 19 points in the afternoon contest, but it was not enough to keep up with the offensive power of K-State. LSU only managed two double-digit scorers as opposed to four for the Wildcats. Jalen Reed scored 12 for the Tigers. 

  LSU managed to maintain competitiveness throughout most of the first half, exchanging baskets with K-State. However, a scoring drought came with roughly ten and a half minutes to go as the Tigers’ point total only grew from 20 to 25 in six minutes of action. During this time, Kansas State created an eleven-point advantage and never trailed again. 

  LSU was outrebounded 39-26 against the Wildcats. The Tigers could not get their perimeter shooting in a rhythm either, only shooting 30% from beyond the arc. 

   The Tigers have struggled to score points thus far, as they’ve only managed to put up 70+ in half of their games this young season. A young team and a lack of scoring are bad for LSU as we move toward SEC play. 

​   Next up for the Tigers is a home date on Wednesday night against a 4-4 Alabama State team. The PMAC will play host on December 13th at 7:00 pm CST while LSU looks back to the winning column. Geaux Tigers!

Photos Below By: Michael Bacigalupi

ohn 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

​*John 3;16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Da Boot Sports
12/1/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   BATON ROUGE – The LSU Tigers went 9-of-12 at the free-throw line in the game’s final three minutes to help outlast Southeastern 77-66 Friday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. 

   With the win, LSU improves its overall record to 5-3 and its winning streak to 14 games against the Southeastern Lions (2-6).  

   The Tigers will matchup against Kansas State at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9 at the Maravich Center. The game will air on SEC Network. 

   Southeastern pieced together a late 14-4 run highlighted by a corner 3-pointer with 29 tics left to play to cut LSU’s lead to three points at 69-66, erasing a once 15-point advantage in the second half. Jordan Wright sealed the game down the stretch, going 4-of-4 at the stripe, and pulled down a defensive board to help hold off the Lions.

​   Will Baker finished the game with 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor and was 7-of-9 at the free-throw line. Baker also had a team-high seven rebounds. In addition to Wright’s 16 points, he registered four rebounds, three steals, and 5-of-6 at the charity stripe. Mike Williams III logged a season-high 15 points and four assists, and Tyrell Ward rounded out the top scorers for the Tigers with 11 points. 

   Southeastern’s Nick Caldwell matched Baker’s 18 points, followed by Roger McFarlane and Roscoe Eastmoond’s 10 points, respectively.  
 
   A tightly contested first half saw LSU take a 39-32 lead over Southeastern at the intermission. In the first 20 minutes, there were eight ties and four lead changes. LSU created space on the scoreboard thanks to a 19-7 run highlighted by seven unanswered points to make the count 36-27 – its largest lead of the half. SLU had a quick 5-0 burst to trim the deficit to four at 36-32, but Wright ended the frame with his second triple of the half to push the Tigers’ lead back to seven at the break.

​   Although the Lions struck first in the second half with a free throw, the Tigers sprinted to an 11-1 run to balloon their lead to 50-35 at the 15:56 mark. Southeastern connected on a 3-pointer for its first field goal of the second half and trimmed LSU’s advantage to 52-45 behind an overall 10-2 run when the Tigers called for time with 12:51 left to play. A dunk and layup by LSU’s Baker stretched the home team’s lead back to 11, but Southeastern responded quickly with a jumper and another three-ball to cut the Tigers’ lead to six at 56-50 and trailed 57-52 at the under eight-minute media timeout. LSU put together another 7-0 run featuring four free throws and a 3-pointer from Wright, making the count 64-52, but Southeastern hung around thanks to an 11-1 run of its own with eight free throws to make the count 65-63 with 2:19 on the clock. After a pair of free throws by Baker and Williams III to make the score 69-63, a 3-point heave from Caldwell hit the bottom of the net with 29 seconds left to play before Wright put the game on ice with four free throws. 

​   LSU shot 48.9 percent from the floor (22-of-45), 34.8 percent from behind the arc (8-of-23) and 21-of-29 from the free-throw line (21-of-29). SLU shot 36.1 percent from the field (22-of-61) and 25.8 percent from the three (8-of-31). The Lions were 14-of-16 at the stripe (87.5%), with all their free-throws coming in the second half.  

​   LSU Head Coach Matt McMahon
Opening statement
“I want to start with congratulating Coach (Kim) Mulkey on her 700th win. That’s an unbelievable accomplishment and it was a great atmosphere in here last night. As for the game, I’m proud of our players finding a way to win. I thank Coach (David) Kiefer and Southeastern. They have a fantastic team and they play really hard. Just when you think you’ve seen it all in a basketball game, you see something new down the stretch. The 15-point lead turned to three. I’m proud of our players getting their composure back together and finding a way to win. Availability wise, Daimion Collins is still out with the injured shoulder he suffered in the North Florida game. For Jalen Cook we’re still waiting. He meets all the criteria and we’re certainly hoping for good news on his appeal. I don’t know what the holdup is. Trae Hannibal dislocated a finger against North Florida. He tried to play through it a little bit tonight but he was limited and that’s why he was unable to play extended minutes. With all of that said, we’re thankful to get a win against a good basketball team and now we have a great opportunity to get better this week and finish strong with final exams. We’ll be able to reevaluate where we are and focus on how to get better as a team.
On shaking up the lineup…
“The lineup had nothing to do with demotion and promotion, we just needed some change. I thought Tyrell (Ward) got us off to a great start shooting the basketball. We did not perform well defensively in the first four minutes of the game. I thought we improved there in the last 16 minutes of the first half. I think we held them to 16 points in the final 16 minutes. I thought Jordan (Wright) responded well. He hit some big free throws and knocked down some big shots for us. He had a big rebound late in the game. Hunter Dean was really good defensively and on the glass. Their big fellow (Brody Rowbury) presented a match-up problem in there. He takes up space and is very skilled in the post. I thought Hunter did a nice job defensively and he had a really nice finish on one of his post ups.”

​*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

Da Boot Sports
11/28/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   SYRACUSE, New York – The Syracuse Orange went on a 22-7 run in the final seven minutes of the first half and the first 90 seconds of the second half to take control Tuesday night at the JMA Wireless Dome as Syracuse defeated LSU, 80-57, in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge.

   The loss drops LSU to 4-3 on the season going into a Friday night game with Southeastern at 7 p.m. at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Syracuse is now 5-2 on the year.

   Jordan Wright led LSU with 15 points, while Jalen Reed had his first college career double double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Reed hit 6-of-10 field goals for the game and of his 11 rebounds, five were offensive.
Judah Mintz carried Syracuse with 33 points and four assists, getting fouled 11 times and making 13-of-15 free throws. It was part of a first half, especially in the last seven minutes, when Syracuse was 14-of-15 from the free throw line. Chris Bell had 20 points with six made threes.

   In the second half, the Orange hit 8-of-13 three-pointers and scored 47 points to keep the Tigers from any chance of getting back in the game.

   LSU struggled from the arc, making just 2-of-22, one in each half, and got 44 of their 57 points in the paint. Syracuse got 26 points off LSU’s 19 turnovers for the game.

​   LSU had a 19-16 lead and a 21-19 lead inside 10 minutes to go in the half, before Syracuse began to get to the foul line and take control of the game, opening up a 33-28 lead at intermission.

   Syracuse scored the first 10 points of the second half to go up 38-28, forcing LSU to call timeout 90 seconds into the half.

​   QUOTES FROM THE LSU SPORTS RADIO NETWORK
LSU HEAD COACH MATT MCMAHON
On the difference between the first and second half…
“The first half, I thought offensively, the numbers won’t reflect it, but when we moved the ball, I thought we got some good shots. We weren’t able to convert some of those, we turned it over too many times but at one point we were plus 10 on the glass. I thought we really defended well in the first half and despite the poor shooting percentages, it enabled us to hang around. (Judah) Mintz getting to the free throw line, he drew eight fouls in the first half, we really struggled with him and then that run to start the second half we were not able to overcome that.”


On taking away any positives from the game…
“I think when you look at Jalen Reed’s rebounding, that would be a positive there and then Jordan Wright’s defensive rebounding. A lot of those 50/50 rebounds in the second half we were unable to get and that’s how you went from plus 10 to minus seven on the glass at that point. A lot of lessons to be learned there, I know the number that stands out is the 2-of-23 from three, but I think some of the things that have to get cleaned up are the turnovers and then the ability to guard the three point shot, where we continue to struggle.”

​*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

​Da Boot Sports
11/24/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   BATON ROUGE – Four LSU Tigers scored in double figures and a stifling first-half defense spelled the difference as the Tigers own their third straight, 75-63, over North Florida Friday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

   The Tigers held the Ospreys to 18 first-half points and 20 percent from the field (6-of-30) in pushing to a 36-18 halftime advantage. LSU made 11-of-23 field goals in the opening half and 14-of-18 free throws in getting 16 points in the paint and 12 points off turnovers.

   Will Baker led LSU with 18 points and eight rebounds, hitting 5-of-10 field goals and 8-of-10 at the free throw line. Jordan Wright had 15 points, Tyrell Ward hit a couple of three-pointers in scoring 14 points, while Mike Williams III had his first double figure scoring game of 11 points to go with a game-high six steals.

​   LSU (5-2) built as much as a 30-point lead in the second half on two Ward free throws with 13:56 left that made it 57-27. At that point, the Ospreys, who were averaging 11 three-pointers a game, were just 3-of-20 from distance.

   But in the final 10 minutes UNF began to heat up and slowly cut into the game, getting the margin down to nine, 68-59, with 3:44 to play. But LSU stepped its game up as Ward hit a three from the corner and Williams a mid-range jumper to get the lead back to 14, 73-59, with 2:08 to play.

   In the second half, UNF hit 8-of-18 from the arc, most of those coming in the final 12 minutes and finished on their average of 11, 11-of-35 for 31.4 percent. For the game, the Ospreys hit 23-of-65 or 35.4 percent.
LSU finished the game at 46 percent (23-of-50) and 4-of-14 for the game from deep. The Tigers hit 78.1 percent of their free throws, 25-of-32.

   For the second straight game, the Tigers pulled down 40-plus rebounds (42), but UNF had a 14-10 advantage on the offensive glass. Both teams turned the ball over 15 times. The Tigers had a 30-18 advantage for the game on paint points and 24-15 on points off turnovers.

​   LSU got good minutes off the bench from junior Daimion Collins who hit 4-of-6 field goals in scoring nine points with two blocks before injuring his shoulder midway through the second half. The extent of the injury was unknown as the evening ended.

   LSU has a team had nine blocks and again was in double figures in steals with 10.
The Tigers will take part Tuesday in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge, traveling to Syracuse for a 6 p.m. CT game on ESPN2 and the LSU Sports Radio Network. LSU’s next home game is Friday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. against Southeastern.

​   POSTGAME QUOTES FROM LSU HEAD COACH MATT MCMAHON:
Opening Statement
“Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving yesterday. Thankful to get the win here tonight. I thought our guys really came out dialed on the defensive side of the ball. We have a lot of respect for North Florida and their three-point attack. They were out scoring their opponents by almost 24 points a game from behind the three-point line. I just loved our effort there on the defensive side about the first 27 minutes of the game. We were able to create some turnovers – I think Mike Williams had six steals and did a really nice job with putting pressure on the basketball. Big key was there in the first half. We won every media segment, but we had nine turnovers in the first 13 minutes of the game. We didn’t turn it over the rest of the half and we were able to build our lead. Lots of teachable moments, obviously, there in the last 10 minutes of the game. But, thrilled to win and excited for the opportunity we have on Tuesday at Syracuse.”
On what he liked about the perimeter defense…
“I think we had great pressure on the basketball and we did a good job communicating on all their different screening actions. You know they still got to their number for 11 made threes, but I think at one point we were at three for 20. We didn’t give up anything. In the first half we did not give up a point in the first 21 seconds of the shot clock. They hit a couple late, but I thought the pressure and flying around, we contested threes and we limited the second shot opportunities in the first 25-27 minutes.”
--

​   UNF HEAD COACH MATT DRISCOLL
Opening Statement
“They (LSU) really applied the pressure early and really made it difficult for us to get into what we needed to do and run what we wanted to run. I thought they man-handled us from a physicality standpoint, therefore we had late clock shots and or bad shots and that just led to them getting easier [shots] on the other end of the floor. So, to their credit they came out with a better physicality and we didn’t have a response for them.”
On the team’s performance tonight…
“Obviously, I love the fact that we don’t quit. You know to come back and get back in the game at the four-minute media, I mean it’s anybody’s game at that point. But now you have to raise your level and they decided to raise their level and to their credit that’s what they finished the game on. I’m proud of our guy’s fight, but I’m not into moral victories. That’s not my deal.”
​

Photos Below By: Michael Bacigalupi

​*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

Da Boot Sports
11/19/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   CHARLESTON, South Carolina – The LSU Tigers outscored Wake Forest, 14-8, in overtime to win the fifth-place game in the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic, 86-80 late Sunday afternoon at TD Arena.

   The Tigers finished the event 2-1 overall, winning against North Texas and Wake Forest after an opening round loss to tournament finalist Dayton. It marked the third straight year the Tigers have defeated the Demon Deacons on a neutral court in regular season play.

   It also gave the Tigers their 2-1 finish in the Charleston Classic. In the 2011 version, LSU lost the opener and then won the last two games, with the last win also against an ACC team, Georgia Tech.

​   LSU had one of its more impressive opening 20 minutes, leading for 19:46 in getting a 46-36 halftime advantage. LSU had an 11-point scoring run in the first half that gave them a 14-point lead at the 6:31 mark, 38-24.

   After the halftime break, the Tigers were not in sync early and Wake Forest scored the first eight points to cut the game to two at 46-44 with 16:19 to play. The Deacons would tie the game for the first time since the opening tipoff at 48 at the 12:52 mark, but LSU would get fouled on the ensuing possession and took the lead back and held a four point, 72-68, lead with 34 seconds to play.

   Wake Forest got a layup to cut it to two with 24.4 left and after the Tigers missed both ends of a two-shot foul, the Demon Deacons were able to tie the game on an offensive rebound put back by Andrew Carr with 14.4 seconds to play.

​   LSU called time out to set up a final possession but Jalen Reed missed an in the paint jumper shot. Tyrell Ward got the rebound but couldn’t get a shot up before the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.

   In the five-minute extra session, the teams swapped buckets before an LSU turnover gave Kevin Miller a chance to throw in a bucket to give the Demon Deacons their first lead of the game at 76-74, 58 seconds into overtime.

   But LSU bowed up both offensive and defensively and took the lead right back 21 seconds later on a Ward three-pointer and pushed the margin to 79-76 on a Ward layup off a WF turnover.

   LSU would never trail again as they answered Wake Forest’s remaining points and made three-of-four free throws late as the Demon Deacons made just 3-of-11 in overtime from the field and 0-of-5 from distance after making 8-of-18 in the first 40 minutes.

​   Will Baker led LSU making 9-of-15 overall with a trey and 4-of-4 at the free throw line for 23 points and eight rebounds (six offensive). It’s his second 20-point game of his first five at LSU and his 10th game of 20 or more in his career.

   Jordan Wright had 15 points and Jalen Reed was back in double figures with 12, including four blocks.

   Hunter Sallis led Wake with 22 points, while Miller had 19 points, Cameron Hildreth 18 and Carr 17.

   Despite shooting just 25.9 percent in the second half, LSU finished strong, making 4-of-6 in the overtime and 1-of-1 from three-point range. For the game, LSU shot 40.8 percent (29-of-71) and made 7-of-18 three-point attempts. LSU was 21-of-31 at the line.

​   Wake would finish at 46.7 percent, making 8-of-23 from distance and 16-of-20 at the line. LSU out rebounded the Demon Deacons, 43-39 with an 18-9 edge on the offensive glass. LSU had a 38-32 advantage in the paint and 16-12 in points off turnovers.

The Tigers return home to face North Florida Friday at 7 p.m. in the Maravich Center. Tickets are available at LSUTix.net.

​   QUOTES FROM THE LSU SPORTS RADIO NETWORK
LSU HEAD COACH MATT MCMAHON
On the hard-fought victory…
“I was really proud of our players. I thought we showed resiliency. In the first half, I thought the first team to get a stop would win the game. I hadn’t seen anything like the first 10 minutes in a long time. Then we struggled some offensively in the second half. Felt like we had the game won a couple of times, you watch a lot of basketball usually when you don’t close it out and go to overtime, you lose all that momentum and the other team finds a way to win. But I thought it really speaks to the character and toughness of our group. Really made some big-time plays in the overtime period to find a way to win the game.”

   On the mentality and fight of the team…
“There was obviously some disappointment there, we didn’t close out our free throws to end the game. I thought Jalen Reed had a beautiful drive there at the buzzer to win it and it just didn’t go our way. They (Wake Forest) scored their second possession of overtime to go down two, the rest of the overtime period we held them 2-of-10 from the floor, 0-of-5 from three, which had hurt us in the first half and finally made those big plays when we needed them down the stretch.”

​   On the play of Will Baker…
“They (Wake Forest) were playing him single coverage, I thought our spacing was really good offensively, he (Will Baker) was very patient getting to his spots. I thought Jordan Wright set the tone defensively to start the game with a couple of steals. We did a poor job defending the three and that got them back into the game in the first half. Again, credit to Will Baker, you saw them try to take him away but he made some big defensive stops for us and had a huge assist to Jalen Reed for a big basket there late.”

​   WILL BAKER
On getting to the offensive glass…
“That was an emphasis for sure going into the game. Just watching the film and seeing how we could attack the offensive glass and we were able to get a lot of second-chance looks and that helped us out a lot.”
On his mindset…
I try to keep the mindset of just staying in attack mode and so that was an emphasis for me going into the game. My teammates trust me and look for me down low and I got a lot of good looks.”

​*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

​ Da Boot Sports
​11/17/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   CHARLESTON, South Carolina – The LSU Tigers basketball team rallied from four down with 8:47 to play to score a 66-62 win over North Texas in the consolation round of the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic Friday here at TD Arena.

   The win puts LSU in the fifth-place game against Wake Forest, a winner over Towson in the late game on Friday. That game is scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. Baton Rouge time).

  The win evens LSU’s record in the classic at 1-1 and the season mark at 2-2. LSU will be trying to duplicate what it did in 2011 in the same event when it lost the first game and won the last two contests.

   LSU and North Texas battled back and forth in a game that featured 22 lead changes and nine ties. North Texas had its biggest lead of five with 10:21 to go in the first half and LSU had two four-point advantages in the first 20 minutes.

   The Mean Green was able to take a 52-48 advantage with 8:47 to play in the game when the Tigers called timeout.

​   LSU turned the ball over on the ensuing possession but a chance for North Texas to expand the lead was thwarted when Derek Fountain blocked the shot. It was Fountain who would eventually score on the other end to cut the margin to 52-50 and then after a UNT miss, Tyrell Ward missed a short jumper, got his own rebound and laid it in to tie the game at 52 with 7:40 to play.

   The game went back and forth with two free throws giving UNT a 57-56 advantage with 4:31 left.
Fountain, who was a perfect 6-of-6 from the field, made a layup to give LSU the lead for good at 58-57 at the 4:09 mark. The Mean Green turned the ball over and then two free throws by Jordan Wright pushed the advantage for LSU to 60-57.

   North Texas missed its next three attempts and Will Baker was fouled and made two free throws to push LSU up 62-57 with 1:41 to play. UNT would get two free throws with 1:06 left but Will Baker with a bucket and two free throws by Mike Williams III gave the Tigers a 66-59 advantage with 19 seconds to play.

​   Baker had 16 points and six boards on the afternoon while Fountain had 14 points and a team best seven rebounds. Wright had 12 points and six rebounds.

   LSU, after losing for the first time in 19 games when shooting 50 percent or more on Thursday, started a new streak after shooting exactly 50 percent overall (24-of-48). The Tigers were 4-of-13 from distance and a good 14-of-18 at the free throw line. UNT shot 31.7 percent (19-of-60) overall and made 12-of-32 three-point attempts (37.5). The Mean Green was 12-of-12 at the free throw line.

  North Texas out rebounded LSU, 34-33, with a 14-7 advantage on the offensive end. LSU had a 36-10 advantage in the paint and 17-10 in points off the 12 UNT turnovers. LSU turned it over 13 times.

   Jason Edwards led North Texas with 22 points, including four treys, while Rubin Jones hit three treys in a 15-point game with John Buggs III hitting four treys and 14 points.

​   The tournament will take Saturday off before resuming with the final four games of the schedule. Sunday’s LSU game will be broadcast on the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network (Eagle 98.1 FM the Guaranty Media flagship in Baton Rouge) with Colin Lacy and John Brady. The television broadcast will be on ESPN2.

   Coach Matt McMahon had these comments on his postgame radio show:
On needing the win…
“Oh, we needed it in the worst way. I was really proud of our players; I thought their response was terrific. We talked last night, we had about a 16-hour turnaround to find out what we’re about as competitors and if we are going to be able to come together and build a team and I thought our guys really responded well. A key moment to me was when we went down five in the second half (40-35) and they had all the momentum and we could’ve splintered there, but I thought the leadership of our guys like Will Baker, Derek Fountain and Mwani Wilkinson kept everyone connected so we could find a way to win.”

​   On the defensive improvement in the second half…
“I thought the adjustment was we were overhelping in the first half, we wanted to force them to take some tougher twos and in the second half, we were able to do that. They go 7-of-28 from two-point range, just 25 percent, which enabled us to go 36-10 points in the paint. Clearly have to clean up some defensive rebounds on long rebounds, but all in all, when you hold a team to 7-of-31 in a half, you should have an opportunity to win the game.”

   On getting the ball inside to Will Baker…
“We were trying to pound that ball in there. We were throwing it in there every time we could and I thought he responded well, but as you know, especially against the number one defense in the country over the last three years, they (North Texas) don’t just let you throw it in there. It takes four other guys screening, delivering the ball, it takes Will moving without the ball to create those angles and I thought he was terrific tonight.”

​   Will Baker Comments In the Media Room:
On continuing to battle throughout the game…
“I just was trying to keep the guys composed. We’ve faced that in the past couple of games, close battles. We were just trying to stay composed and keep fighting and I think our resiliency was there today. Part of that is because we went through that adversity and know how to handle it and I think we are just going to keep getting better and better.”

   On the play of Derek Fountain…
“Derek had an amazing game; we love it when he takes it to the basket and is in attack mode. I think that’s when he is at his best, so we are just going to continue him to do that. He can have a big impact on the game when he does that.”

​   On his play during the game…
“I think the most important thing is my teammates trust me and they know that’s one of my strengths, so for me my mindset it just to continue to attack and we took advantage of that.”
​

​*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

​Da Boot Sports
​11/16/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   CHARLESTON, South Carolina – For the second time in a week, a three-pointer with less than five seconds left was the difference as Dayton rallied in the final nine minutes to score a 70-67 decision over LSU in the opening round of the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic Thursday at TD Arena.

   The Tigers will now face North Texas in the consolation round game at 11:30 a.m. ET (10:30 a.m. Baton Rouge time). North Texas lost to St John’s in the opening game of the day, 53-52.

   The loss overshadowed another strong offensive game from sophomore Jalen Reed who had his career scoring high for the second straight game with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including one three-pointer and a free throw. He fouled out with 3:42 to play in the game.

​   Tyrell Ward hit all three distance attempts in scoring 12 points, while Will Baker had 10 points.

   The two teams played fairly evenly in the first half in a game with five ties and 11 lead changes. The Tigers took the lead into intermission on a Carlos Stewart bucket with four seconds to play, 32-30.

   LSU would make it a 10-0 run carrying over to the second half scoring the first eight points on a three by Mike Williams III, a deuce from Will Baker and then a three-ball from distance by Baker to make it 40-30. The run at the start of the second half eventually reached 14-2 in the first 3:13 of the second half as LSU built a 46-32 advantage.

   LSU hit 5-of-6 field goals to open the half and all three shots from distance while Dayton was 0-of-6 from the field and 0-of-3 from the arc.

   The Tigers continued to hold Dayton at bay, building a 60-45 lead with 9:07 to play as Reed made a layup, was fouled and then added a free throw.

​   But Dayton gradually began to find its offensive flow against LSU, getting two layups and a jumper to cut the Tigers lead to 60-51 with 6:36 left when LSU called timeout.

   Reed would make a jumper out of the timeout to get the lead back to 11 at 62-51, but the Tigers got stuck on 62 for some four minutes as Dayton in all went on a 19-2 run that gave them a 64-62 lead with 3:42 still to play.

   LSU tried to assert itself against as Ward made a three-pointer to give LSU back the lead, 65-64, with 2:14 left Dayton missed a three-pointer and Derek Fountain forced his way inside for a layup and a 67-64 lead with 1:25 to play.

​   Dayton used a timeout at this point. The Flyers missed a shot but got the offensive rebound, something that had been a problem for LSU much of the night. Javon Bennett then missed a three but Dayton controlled the ball as LSU couldn’t grab it as it went out of bounds. At that point, Koby Brea hit a second chance three and the game was tied with 48.2 seconds.

   LSU’s Trae Hannibal tried to go down the lane but turned the ball over on a travel to Dayton with 22.7 remaining. The Flyers got the ball to Nate Santos who buried the three with 4.1 seconds to play to give Dayton a 70-67 lead.

   The Tigers, after a timeout, tried to get a shot up but a rushed three-pointer by Stewart was short ending the contest.

   Santos, who made three treys, finished with 19 points and nine boards, while Bennett had 16 points (4 treys) and Brea 13, including three from distance. Enoch Cheeks had 10 rebounds.

   Dayton out rebounded the Tigers, 35-28, including 14-4 on the offensive boards. At the end of the first half, Dayton had a 7-0 advantage in offensive boards.

​   Dayton shot 39.3 percent for the game (22-of-56) and 11-of-34 outside the arc (32.4%). The Tigers shot 26-of-49 for the game, 53.1 percent (7-of-16 from distance (43.8%).
The loss ended an 18-game winning streak over the last several years when LSU shoots better than 50 percent in a game.

   The Tigers had a 28-18 advantage in points in the paint, but Dayton had an 18-7 advantage in points off turnovers, capitalizing on 15 Tiger turnovers. Dayton turned it over 11 times.
For the game there were seven ties and 14 lead changes.

   Friday’s game will be broadcast on the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network with John Brady and Colin Lacy, sitting in for Chris Blair. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
Coach Matt McMahon during the post-game of the LSU Sports Radio Network:

​   On the play of Jalen Reed…
“I thought he was terrific. We were able to play through him offensively. He did a good job of taking advantage of some mismatch situations and getting to the basket, playing strong off two feet and finishing some plays. He knocked down a big three early, I thought he played really well. That hurt us, him going out of the game, when he fouled out, we needed his ball handling and playmaking ability there at the forward spot.”

   On the intensity of the team…
“The guys played their tails off, that’s what makes it a tough pill to swallow that we couldn’t close the deal. The turnovers obviously hurt us there in the second half and some of the second shot opportunities. Even when Dayton took the lead after some unforced errors there, our guys responded and took the lead right back. I was proud of our fight and the energy and comradery we played with, just disappointed we were unable to finish the last minute there.”

​   On the quick turnaround before game two against North Texas…
“That’s the biggest key for us, I know we’ve got a disappointed locker room, but we tip it off in less than 17 hours against one of the best defensive teams in the country. Really physical, tough, hard-nosed group, they put a lot of pressure on the rim with their ability to drive the ball. Really talented team and it will be a physical game tomorrow, so we have to turn the page quickly.”

​John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

Da Boot Sports
11/10/2023
By: Terrill J. Weil


   BATON ROUGE, LA - The Nicholls Colonels came into the Pete Maravich Assembly Center and upset LSU, 68-66 on Friday.

   The Tigers trailed by as much as 24 points in the first half and were down by 19 at the half, but battled back to grab their first lead of the contest, 58-57 with 5:36 left in the game. 

   Both teams played sloppy over the final five minutes with LSU blowing several opportunities to increase their slim lead.

   With the Colonels trailing, 66-65, Jalen White hit a desperation three pointer with 1.5 seconds left on the clock to give Nicholls the victory.

   Jalen Reed led the Tigers with 14 points on the night. Jordan Wright finished with 11 points, while Derek Fountain added 9 and Carlos Stewart 8 points. 

   “I’d really like to start off my saying congratulations to Coach (Tevon) Saddler and the Nicholls State program. Just a terrific job. Completely outcoached me for 40 minutes." Matt McMahon said. "He had his team ready to go and to compete at a high level. They played every possession as if it was going to determine the outcome of the game as it should be. They deserved to win. Really shouldn’t have had to work that hard to get the win. For whatever reason I didn’t have our team ready to play in the first half. They just spaced us out and whipped us off the dribble. We struggled to communicate defensively and credit to Nicholls State, they made us pay every time. With every missed switch, guys stepped up and buried threes. They just played with a lot of energy and fight. That’s how they were able to overcome the 20 turnovers that we were able to force. I apologize to everyone who came tonight. It’s my responsibility to have our team locked in and ready to compete and take great pride in putting that LSU jersey on and I failed miserably in that challenge tonight. We will get back to work this weekend to improve our team.”


   Nicholls began the contest with a bolt of energy, grabbing an early 11 point lead as Jalen White hit three shots from behind the three point arc, with Rob Brown adding a fast break layup, shocking the LSU crowd. 

   LSU finally got on the board at the 15:57 mark when Trae Hannibal banked in a layup, 11-2 Colonels.

   The sluggish start continued for the Tigers as Nicholls would go on a 14-9 run over the next five minutes to take a 25-9 advantage.

   With 9:14 left in the first half LSU found themselves trailing 28-10 as the Colonels remained hot, shooting 69% from the floor while the Bayou Bengals struggled to score. 

   The scoreboard read, Nicholls 39, LSU 17 at the 4:19 officials timeout, as the Colonels were in the middle of a 14-8 run. 

   The nightmarish first half mercifully came to and end with Nicholls leading LSU, 44-25 at the break.

   LSU shot an ice cold 7-27 from the floor for 26% in the first half and a dismal 1-11 from three point range for 9%, while finishing 10-14 at the free throw line.  Nicholls out-rebounded the Tigers, 19-13. LSU committed seven first half turnovers while forcing the Colonels into ten.

   Jalen Reed lead the Tigers in the first half with 5 points, Tyrell Ward finished with 4 points, Trae Hannibal added 3, while Jordan Wright, Hunter Dean and Will Baker all finished with 2 points each.  Nicholls did a fantastic job defending Will Baker, double and triple teaming him at times, keeping LSU's big man in check. 

   
   LSU started the second half with a 10-3 run, cutting the Nicholls lead to 47-35. 

   The Tigers began to play more aggressive on offense, taking the ball to the rim instead of depending on the perimeter shot. 

   Carlos Stewart hit a three pointer at the 14:25 mark to cut the Colonels lead to only nine, 47-38, giving the Pete Maravich Assembly Center fans something to cheer about. 

   LSU battled back to tie the contest, 57-57 at the 6:05 mark, with a 22-10 run over the last ten minutes. A few seconds later, Jalen Reed would make a free throw giving the Tigers their first lead of the night, 58-57 with 5:36 remaining. 

   With the loss, LSU is now 1-1 on the season. Next up the Tigers will travel to Charleston, North Carolina to play three games in the Charleston Classic. LSU will open the classic against Dayton on Thursday, November 16th. Tipoff is set for 3:00pm CST and the game will be carried on ESPN2.


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​*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

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Da Boot Sports
11/6/2023
By: Terrill J. Weil


   BATON ROUGE, LA - The Tigers opened up the 2023-24 season with a 106-60 blowout victory over Mississippi Valley State at home in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. 

   Despite the opponent, the Tigers looked sharp most of the night shooting well from the outside and showcasing talented new comer Will Baker.

   Baker introduced himself to the Tiger fans with 29 total points in only 19 minutes of game play. 

   Carlos Stewart played solid at the point, doing a great job of running the LSU offense for most of the game. He finished with 9 points.

   Jordan Wright contributed 12 points, while Daimion Collins added 11. 

   Tyrell Ward also scored 11 on the night. 

​   What impressed me the most on the night was LSU's perimeter shooting. They finished the game shooting 58% from the floor (34-59). They shot 54% from behind the three point arc (14-26) and were solid from the charity stripe hitting 24-34 for 71%. 

   Defensively the Tigers forced 22 turnovers that they were able to convert into 35 points. 

​   The only disappointing stat was rebounding, as LSU was only able to out-rebound the Delta Devils, 38-32.

   Twelve Tigers got into the scoring column as Matt McMahon played several players during the contest.

   “Great way to start off the season." Matt McMahon said. "Really appreciate all the fans and the students that came out tonight. Love the unselfishness and effort our guys played with. Like I said good way to start things off. I thought shot selection was good. Had seven turnovers in the first half and a lot of unforced errors. We went about twelve minutes there in the second half without a turnover, so I was excited to see that improvement. I think defensively we were able to be disruptive with the press and some of the defensive concepts. This pointed at our defensive rebounding. Too many offensive rebounds allowed and that will be an area we work in practice as we start preparing for Nicholls State on Friday night. Excited to go 1-0 and looking forward to getting to play in the PMAC again Friday night at seven.” 


   The Tigers got on the board first on a Mike William III three point shot at the 19:04 mark, 3-0 Tigers.

   Over the next five minutes LSU would go on a 12-7 run to hold a 15-7 advantage at the 14:19 officials timeout. The run was highlighted by a nice two hand dunk by 7'-0" center Will Baker and three pointers by Tyrell Ward and Carlos Stewart.

   Early on this LSU squad showed they have the ability to shoot the ball well from the perimeter as well as an inside game with Will Baker.

   LSU increased their lead to 36-20, going on a 21-13 run over the next eight minutes of play.

   With 3:12 left in the first half, the Tigers held a 42-23 lead over the Delta Devils as Matt McMahon continued to substitute heavily throughout the opening period. 

   Tyrell Ward hit a three pointer at the buzzer to send LSU into the locker room at the half with a 56-29 lead. The Tigers finished the half on a 20-9 run over the final six minutes. 

   It was the Will Baker show in the first half as he dazzled the LSU crowd with 21 points. Baker was a force in the paint, solid at the charity stripe and even showed his ranged, burying a three pointer. Tyrell Ward had a nice first half with 11 points for the Bayou Bengals. 

   The Tigers shot 60% from the floor in the first half (18-30), 50% from three point range (5-10) and 94% from the free throw line (15-16). LSU forced 12 turnovers while committing seven. The Tigers out-rebounded the Delta Demons, 16-15 over the first 20 minutes.

    LSU began the second half going on a 14-5 run over the first five minutes to take a 70-34 lead. 

   The Tigers turned up their defensive heat in the second half only allowing Mississippi Valley State nine points during the first eight minutes of the second period, while staying hot offensively shooting 61% from the floor. At the 11:44 mark the Tigers lead 81-37. 

   Coach McMahon continued to shuffle his lineup giving several players nice quality minutes.

   LSU continued their dominance over the out-manned Delta Devils holding a 50 point lead, 97-47 with 3:47 left in the contest. 

   The victory was a nice way to begin the season. Next up, the Tigers stay home in the P-MAC as they will take on Nicholls on Friday, November 10th at 7:00pm CST. 

   Get your tickets and come out and watch these Tigers play!   .....  GEAUX TIGERS!!


   ​Don't forget to tune into 'Talking Tigers Podcast with Da Boot Sports' on our YouTube Channel on Tuesday night, November 6th at 7:30pm CST as David Penn, Ron Sancho and our special guest Roland Barbay will review the Tigers disappointing loss to Alabama and preview the big upcoming Florida contest. It's gunna be a great show! Don't miss it!

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Photos By: Michael Bacigalupi

​*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

Da Boot Sports
3/9/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: Kent Lowe


   NASHVILLE, Tennessee – LSU super senior KJ Williams, senior Trae Hannibal and junior Cam Hayes combined for 55 of LSU’s 68 points as the Tigers end their 2022-23 season in the second round of the SEC Tournament with a 77-68 loss to Vanderbilt here Thursday night in Bridgestone Arena.The Tigers finish the season at 14-19, while Vanderbilt will face Kentucky in the final game of Friday’s quarterfinals. The Commodores are now 19-13 overall.

Williams completed his spectacular single season at LSU that earned him second team All-SEC honors and against Vanderbilt, he made 10-of-16 field goals, including 4-of-8 from distance and both free throw attempts for 26 points and 11 rebounds. It was ninth double double of the year. He also had two assists.

Hayes hit 5-of-11 shots with one trey and five free throws to finish with 16 points and two assists. Hannibal had a 13-point, career best 13 rebound game (7 offensive), making three field goals and 7-of-10 at the free throw line to go with four assists and two steals.

While the trio combined to make 18-of-36 shots and 5-of-12 from the arc, the Tigers still shot just 33.3 percent for the game (23-of-69) and 6-of-23 from distance.

Vanderbilt shot a consistent 46.4 percent from the floor (26-of-56) with six treys. The rebounded were even at 42, the third straight game LSU recorded at least 40 rebounds. LSU had a 20-12 advantage on the offensive boards and 19-12 on second chance points.

The Tigers continued to get better more consistently at the end in turnovers, having back-to-back single digit turnovers games in the tournament, with eight.

Tyrin Lawrence led Vandy with 22 points, while Ezra Manjon had 17, Jordan Wright 15 points and 15 rebounds and Paul Lewis 11 points as those four combined for 65-of-Vandy’s-77 points.

Vandy took the lead 16 seconds in and never trailed in the contest from there, building as much as a 14-point first half advantage with under eight minutes to go in the first half and leading 37-29 at intermission.

​In the second half, the Tigers behind the play of its three scorers on this night, continued to show fight, scoring the first three buckets of the second half (all by Williams on a three-pointer, a bucket off a turnover and an offensive rebound put back to get LSU back to within one, 37-36, with 17:57 to play in the game.

But Vandy answered with a long two-pointer and after a turnover and three misses on one possession, got a three-pointer to push it to 42-36. That started a 12-0 run that gave Vandy a 49-36 cushion. LSU was able to get the game to seven in the final 45 seconds before Vanderbilt got the last two points on free throws for the final margin.
--

Vanderbilt 77, LSU 68
          THE MODERATOR: We’re ready to start with LSU. We’ll ask Coach McMahon for some opening comments.
Coach.

   MATT McMAHON: Thank you. I’ll start with just a couple comments here on Vanderbilt. Congratulations
to them on the win tonight. I don’t know their staff great, but just following them after their loss against Alabama back January 31st, kind of a line-in-the-sand moment for their team. Credit to them for coming together. I think 9-1 since that game. They’ve always been really good on the offensive end of the floor. I think their defensive improvement since that game has really allowed them to go on this great run and get in the NCAA tournament conversation. That’s a tremendous credit to their players and Coach Stackhouse. Secondly, to lose a player of Liam Robbins’ caliber, really have not missed a beat these last three games. That’s to
take nothing away from Robbins. Deservedly an All-SEC player. Again, just admire what they’ve been able to accomplish here in February and March. Finally, for me, sitting here with KJ Williams, just been a tremendous honor for me to have the opportunity to coach him over these last five years. He’s what college basketball is all about. He’s what coaching is all about.  Incredibly thankful to have that opportunity. I thought our players as a whole, we came down this week, came here in Nashville, I thought we competed. I thought we were more connected on the defensive end of the floor for the most part. But unfortunately, credit to Vanderbilt’s defense, we were unable to score the ball efficiently enough today to give
ourselves a chance to win.

          THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes.

   Q. KJ, y’all were down eight at halftime. You came out and scored the first seven to get your team back in it. What were they trying to do to you differently with Robbins out tonight?
   KJ WILLIAMS: I think they came out with their four man guarding me, a much smaller player than last game. I think they had Liam on me mostly the whole game. I still came out pretty successful, but it was tough for me to go out and get back because most of the time I’m always having to screen, then they’ll switch back somebody else on me. It’s hard for somebody else to come back and just go score.

   Q. Trae, you got back in the game, had a chance at tying it. Vanderbilt went on a 12-0 run after that. Did they force their will on you?
   TRAE HANNIBAL: Yeah, they kind of was playing hard the whole game. They were just out-toughing
us, playing through a lot of contact, things like that. Got to some loose balls throughout the game, too. It’s kind of tough. Kudos to them. They had a great game, so…

          THE MODERATOR: We’ll excuse you and continue with questions for Coach.

   Q. Now that it’s over, the entirety of the season, how it kind of crashed tonight after a big win last night.
   MATT McMAHON: The season as a whole? Yeah, that’s probably a long conversation. Welcome to have it, but just in general, yeah, I think clearly disappointed in the overall result of the season. You asked me, one of your first questions when I was blessed to get to take to job, what are your goals? My goal is the same every year: I want to help our players and team max out and become the best we’re capable of being. Whether that’s 15 wins, 18 wins, 31 wins… I don’t think we were able to get that accomplished this year. That’s clearly my responsibility. But there’s the reality, also, I’m well aware. I’m not an excuse-maker. I don’t blame anybody or complain. The reality is we didn’t take over the 22-win LSU team that went to the NCAA tournament. We took over a program in crisis, zero players, zero signees. Really had to start at ground zero and try to put a team together and do our best moving forward.
Unfortunately, wasn’t able to get it done at the level I would have liked to in January and February. Take quite a few positives from the year. Number one, I’m excited and thrilled about the opportunity to coach at LSU. It was a privilege getting to watch KJ Williams come in and be an All-SEC player. The comeback at Wake Forest, largest comeback since 1996 at LSU. The home win against Arkansas. But at the end of the day, didn’t get the job done at the level I would have liked to have gotten it done. We’ll learn from it, and look forward to moving into the future.

   Q. Getting within one, after the way you won last night, did you feel like you were back in it? Did
Vanderbilt do something different at that point?
   MATT McMAHON: I think so. I mean, KJ got those quick buckets there. I thought their defensive game plan was good. Really didn’t guard some of our guys who struggled shooting the ball tonight. It made the floor really crowded. At the end of the day in college basketball, you got to have elite guard play. I thought Manjon at the point for them really took over the game with his speed and quickness off the dribble. I thought Lewis came off the bench at the backup point and gave them good minutes. Hit a couple big threes, gives them 11 points. Lawrence has been a really good player all year. Since Robbins went out, he’s really stepped up his game to another level. 22 points on
just seven shots. So overall the efficiency of their guard play really dictated that second half especially.

   Q. You said you’re starting from ground zero. Where is your focus, what this team needs to get to the level you expect it to be?
   MATT McMAHON: Yeah, I’d love to sit here and tell you that the foundation is in place. That was the goal going in, to have the culture established, a winning culture, to move the program forward. But the reality of it is when you finish January and February the way we did, oftentimes you learn what not to do. You learn what corrections need to be made, whether that’s in roster construction, culture, offensive, defensive schemes, preparation, whatever it might be.
We’ll certainly address all of those areas and make the improvements necessary to move the program forward.
​

Da Boot Sports
3/8/2023
By: Terrill J. Weil


   NASHVILLE, TN - The Tigers snapped their three game losing streak with a hard fought 72-67 win over the Georgia Bulldogs in the first round of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday night.

   The Tigers were able to do what they struggled to do all season, finish off an opponent late during a close contest. LSU found themselves in a tie game, 67-67 with only 1:33 remaining before outscoring the Bulldogs
5-0 the rest of the way for the victory.

   The Bayou Bengals lead at the break, 42-30.

   LSU had a solid team effort in first half with several players contributing. Trea Hannibal led the Tigers with 7 points, while KJ Williams, Adam Miller, Tyrell Ward and Shawn Phillips Jr. each added 6 points a piece, followed by Justice Williams with 5 and Cam Hayes with 4 points.  

   The Tigers led 48-38 at the 15:53 mark in the second half before Georgia would go on a 21-9 run over the next twelve minutes to take a 59-57 lead.

   For the final 4:16 the contest turned into a dogfight with LSU making the big play when needed to come out on top. 

   KJ Williams finished the game with 18 points, followed by Hannibal with 14, Phillips with 13 and Miller with 10. 

   LSU shot 40% from the floor hitting 20-50 shots while sinking 6-17 from behind the three point arc for 35%. The Tigers also had a great night at the free throw line making 21-24 for 88%. 

   Next up the Tigers will play will Vanderbilt on Thursday night. The game is scheduled for 8:30pm CT and will be televised on the SEC Network. 
   

   
**Postgame Press Conference**

LSU 72, Georgia 67

          THE MODERATOR: We’re ready to begin with LSU. We’ll begin and ask Coach McMahon for some general thoughts on the game, then questions for the two student-athletes, then continue with questions for Coach. Coach, would you begin.
   
   MATT McMAHON: Thank you. Really proud of our players. Thankful for the opportunity to advance here in the SEC Tournament. It was a fun game, a great atmosphere. I was not expecting that many people here on opening night. I hope I’m never back for opening night, but that was a lot of fun. Really proud of the way our guys responded. As we all know, we’ve had some 10-, 12-point leads where we haven’t been able to sustain it and find a way to win. Georgia did a great job fighting to get back in the game
and tie it up. Had all the momentum. I thought our guys really responded well and found a way to win.
Just looking at the box score, things that really stand out to me, how do you overcome 36% shooting from the floor and 20% from three, 25 to four on the offensive glass, second-chance points was huge for us. Then just limiting our turnovers. 10 assists, one turnover in the half. Finished 13 to five. Proud of our guys and looking forward for tomorrow night.

          THE MODERATOR: We’ll take questions for the two student-athletes.

   Q. Trae, you guys were able to get an edge on the offensive glass. You had 11 total rebounds. What do
you think it is about this team that’s so good on the glass?
   TRAE HANNIBAL: This is a tough team. We’ve been through a lot this year. We can’t go back and change
it now. At the end of the day as long as guys go out there and do their job for the team, anything is possible. Tonight, I just played hard and did what I could for the win. Thankful.

   Q. KJ, you told us about a week and a half ago you’ve been taking Shawn Phillips under your wing. What did you feed him today?
   KJ WILLIAMS: Me and Shawn are roommates at the hotel. I told him to come out and play basketball, block out all the noise, come out and just play basketball. The outcome was the outcome. Came out with his first career double-double, 13-10. He just stayed the course on the offensive end, defensive end. He’s worked tremendously hard, and it came out with a good outcome today.

   Q. You saw Vanderbilt a few weeks ago, see them again tomorrow. What did you make of them then and now?
   TRAE HANNIBAL: Vanderbilt is a tough team. They’re well-coached. They really play hard.
Like tonight’s game is over with, we have to put it behind us. Our main focus now is on Vanderbilt. Going out there for 40 more minutes, give it our all, stick to the game plan.
   KJ WILLIAMS: Like he said, we got to lock in on our principles. They came out and gave us a great game. But we came out with the win. We got to come out again, just come out and just play hard.

   Q. Trae, you looked like you came out tonight and wanted to attack right from the start. What was the
plan going in? Take it right in the middle to them?
   TRAE HANNIBAL: Yes, sir. Like I said, going out there and doing what I can to help this team win, being as
aggressive as I can and attacking the rim at all times. This team, we have a lot of great shooters. Can always space it out. Getting downhill is my main trait, and I think I did that pretty well, so…

          THE MODERATOR: We’ll excuse the student-athletes and continue with Coach McMahon.

   Q. You said Monday the big thing would be turnovers. Do you think that was the big key in the game?
   MATT McMAHON: I think it was a huge part of it. I mean, you look at so many games, all right, just last week, for example, I mean, our two opponents outscored us 33 to 6 on points off turnovers. It’s impossible to win when you’re giving away that many points. I thought that was important. We really executed well offensively in the second half. Excuse me, got to flip that, in the first half (smiling). The ball moved. I thought we were able to really do a good job attacking. Our ball screen attack there with 10 assists, only one turnover, enabled us to build the lead. Second half, Georgia changed their coverages up. We didn’t attack as well. Of course, we turned it over the first two possessions for a good laugh there (smiling). Overall, 13 assists, five turnovers. Also, you have to look at the offensive rebounding. We
turned our 18 offensive rebounds into 25 points. It’s not just that we got the offensive rebounds, it’s that we were efficient in converting those into points, which has not always been the case for us this year.

   Q. Really big sequence when Shawn got the dunk on the put-back, and then he blocked the shot when it
looked like the guy, Bridges, was going to get an easy shot. How big was that for a young guy like him?
   MATT McMAHON: I thought he made huge plays that really impacted winning, not just those plays you
mentioned, but going to the line, up by one, I believe, at the time. He knocked down both free throws in a clutch situation there. Bridges is such an effective scorer there in the post. I thought he was really solid on the defensive end of the floor. Overall, just was a great screener for us offensively. I thought he did a lot of things well that enabled us to win the game.

   Q. Derek Fountain, is he going to be available? Also, what did you tell Shawn?
   MATT McMAHON: We sure hope so. It’s a day-to-day injury suffered in practice earlier this week to his
right shoulder. Hope to have him back tomorrow night, but not counting on it. We’ll see how he responds to treatment. I think Shawn just knew there was a great opportunity for
him to step forward there. Derek has been one of our most efficient and consistent players all year. We were going to need someone to step up, and Shawn came through huge for us.
I thought KJ made big plays when the money was on the line there late in the game. Made clutch free throws. That was my final key to the game, the free-throw line. I thought we all know Texas A&M leads America getting to the line. Well, Georgia is number two in our league. Us being able to stay with them and match them at the free-throw line I thought was really important tonight.

   Q. Heading into tomorrow, what are your thoughts on Vanderbilt, what Jerry Stackhouse has done with that program this year?
   MATT McMAHON: He’s a big-time coach. We’ll have to really turn the page quickly here and start
our preparation. I think offensively they execute at a high, high level, as well as anyone in the country. The other thing we obviously have to factor in is when we played them last time a few weeks ago, Robbins was still available. Had a monster game. I think one blocked shot, a triple-double. With him out, I know they’ve continued to have great success and win a lot of games. But we have to spend a lot of time tonight, figure out how they’re playing different and what we need to prepare for to give ourselves an opportunity tomorrow night.

​          THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

Da Boot Sports
3/4/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: Kent Lowe


   GAINESVILLE, FL. – The LSU Tigers could not stand the second half onslaught from the Florida Gators, falling 79-67, in the final game of the 2022-23 regular season Saturday at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.

The Gators were able to turn a four-point LSU lead at halftime and then a 12-point, 44-32, lead with 15:45 to play completely upside down, outscoring LSU, 47-25, the rest of the game.

KJ Williams, just missing a ninth double double with 19 points and nine rebounds, led the Tigers hitting 6-of-13 field goals and 7-of-10 free throws. Derek Fountain had his fourth college double double with 13 points and 12 rebounds while Adam Miller added 10 points.

Riley Kugel went off in the second half, scoring 21 points, 17 of them the second half, while Will Richard had 18 points and Kyle Lofton added 16 points and five assists.

For the third straight game, the opponent shot over 50 percent from the field, hitting 16-of-30 shots (53.3%) and then 5-of-10 from the arc. LSU made 11-of-30 in the second half and 1-of-5 from distance.

Florida finished 28-of-61 for 45.9 percent and 10-of-25 for 40 percent to go with 13-of-20 from the free throw line. LSU finished 23-of-60 (38.3%) and just 3-of-16 from distance (18.8%) along with 18-of-25 from the charity stripe.

LSU turned the ball over 13 times, eight in the second half, leading to a 13-4 points off turnovers advantage for the Gators, including an 11-2 margin in the second half.

The Tigers led for 8:27 of the first half which featured seven ties and three lead changes, and LSU came out after halftime and outscored the Gators 11-3 to push the LSU lead to 44-32 as Williams scored the last six points of the run.

But Florida began to press and slowly worked itself back into the game with a 9-1 run that cut the lead to four at 45-41, with 14:04 to play. LSU was able to keep the lead for the next seven-odd minutes before an LSU turnover led to a  Kowacie Reeves fast break dunk to give Florida the lead, 54-53.

Fountain came back after both teams missed and scored to give LSU a 55-54 advantage but Florida took the lead for good on a Richard layup, 56-55, with 6:12 to go and the Gators would quickly get the lead to double figures to clinch the game.

LSU now goes to the SEC Tournament in Nashville, where it will face Georgia in the second game on Wednesday at approximately 8:30 p.m. at Bridgestone Arena.

LSU Head Coach Matt McMahon Quotes from Postgame Radio Show
On the game plan in the first half…
“First half, I thought our on-ball defense was really good. For the most part, I thought they caught us on a couple rolls on their ball screen attack, but i thought we were doing a good jump of forcing them into contested jump shots off the dibble and they were taking some difficult ones. On our offensive end, we had five turnovers, I believe the first six minutes of the game, then did not turn it over again the rest of the half. That enabled us to get the ball into the paint and score some. Struggled from behind the arc, but we were able to finish some plays there in the first half around the rim. That was an area we thought we could take advantage of going in, they were a top 10 defensive team in the country protecting the rim with (Colin) Castleton, without him in the last five games, they have given up almost 70 % at the rim from the floor. Unfortunately, there in the second half we shot 40% on the layups around the basket and were just unable to convert on all those three-on-twos and two-on-ones and three-on-ones when we beat the press.”

​On the second half…
“Got off to a good start, we were able to control where the ball was going. Guys were stepping up and able to finish some plays around the rim. I thought we really good on the offensive glass, Derek (Fountain) gets five, KJ (Williams) gets four in that stretch. That enabled us to build a lead. The first four minutes of the second half I believe we went plus eight into the first media timeout. Then at that point, they (Florida) changed it up and put us in positions to make plays and unfortunately we were unable to do so.”

Da Boot Sports
3/1/2023
By: Terrill J. Weil


   BATON ROUGE, LA - LSU held the lead for 36 minutes on Wednesday night in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, but fell to Missouri, 81-76 after going ice cold over the final 2:38 of the contest.

   The Tigers were explosive in the first half of play, leading by as much as 19 points before taking a 13 point lead, 47-34 into the halftime break. 

   KJ Williams (15 points) and Adam Miller (14 points) led the first half offensive attack. It was probably LSU's most electric half of the season as they shot 48% from the floor, including 11-15 (73%) from behind the three point arc and sinking 12-12 free throws. 

   But, as all season long, the Tigers were unable to put together a solid 40 minutes. 

   Over the first nine minutes of the second half, Missouri would go on a 25-12 run to tie the game at 59-59.

   Mizzou's second half comeback was aided by the Tigers' poor shooting and sloppy ball handling that led to ten costly LSU turnovers.

   “I thought our guys really competed tonight. Parker Edwards got us off to a really special start there with his two threes and his start on Senior Night." Matt McMahon said. "I thought that carried over to our team. I think we competed the way we need to play every single night. Credit to Missouri, they stayed the course there when we built a lead in the first half. I think we had one two-point field goal there, everything else was done beyond the arc and it was going to be hard to continue to shoot at a 73% clip from behind the arc. Unfortunately, in the second half, some of the same problem that have bother us all year. A lot of turnovers, unforced turnovers at times. KJ with another monster game, they put two and three on him at a time, but we were trying to get it to him on every trip. Unable to do so there late in the game. A couple of key possessions I thought, we got a stop with about two minutes to go up by two, they shot an airball three, we were unable to come up with the rebound and they (Missouri) got a putback there. We take a bad shot late. We were unable to get anything going there and then (D’Moi) Hodge buries a huge three. Credit to Missouri. They put a lot of pressure on you defensively. All one through five can beat you off the dribble and get to the rim and make plays at the basket. If you go double, they can all shoot it from three. Obviously disappointed in the result tonight.”

   Missouri took their first lead of the game, 77-74 when D'moi Hodge hit a three pointer with 1:37 left on the clock. 

   With the loss the Tigers are now 13-17 overall, 2-15 in SEC play.

   Next up the Tigers will travel to Gainesville to play Florida on Saturday, March 4 at 5:00pm CT. The game will be televised on SEC Network. 
​

Photos Below By: Michael Bacigalupi

*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one come to the Father except through me."

Da Boot Sports
2/26/2023
By: Terrill J. Weil


   BATON ROUGE, LA - In September of 2021 the LSU Board of Supervisors voted to name the Pete Maravich Assembly Center's basketball court after LSU legendary basketball coach Dale Brown. The vote passed. 

   What an honor for Coach Brown. An honor that was very long over-due. "Dale Brown Court"... A fitting name for the court that Dale Brown built after coming to Baton Rouge with only $300 in his pocket and very little support. 

      "Awards and honors were never a goal of mine. My only goals were to build LSU into a national power and to help young men improve their lives."  Dale Brown said after the announcement of the decision. 
"Now, though, with the tremendous honor LSU’s Board of Supervisors has just given me –the naming of Dale Brown Court—I get to use one of the most powerful phrases in the English language: THANK YOU!
Thank you to the Board of Supervisors for thinking enough of me to make this happen.
Thank you to the people of Louisiana who have always allowed me to enjoy such a special relationship with both LSU and this entire state that I have loved for so long.
Thank you to the parents who entrusted me with their sons. Thank you to my players and assistant coaches and support staff. Thank you to LSU fans everywhere.
You have given me the honor of a lifetime. More than that, you have honored me by allowing me to be part of your lives for so many years now. THANK YOU!"

   
   Only a little over a year after honoring Dale Brown with a ceremony, unveiling his signature on the court in front of a capacity crowd before LSU's contest against Kentucky, the LSU Board of Supervisors once again voted for a name change to the PMAC basketball court.

   The vote took place on Friday, Feb. 10th. The board approved to add former women's basketball coach
Sue Gunter's name to the court by the vote of 14-1. UNREAL!

   Dick Vitale jumped on Twitter when he heard the news.... 
       “How ABSURD – in Louisiana, the Governor wants to change the name of the LSU basketball court that was named DALE BROWN COURT in a dedication ceremony about a year ago. This is wacky, Dale deserved the honor & it finally was affirmed & now UGLY POLITICS is involved.”

   Tim Brando who was a driving force back in 2021 in pushing for the naming of the court after
Brown, mentioning back then to the LSU Board of Supervisors....
       “Skip Bertman, the legend of LSU, who also was here when I was here,” said Brando. “He came in 1984
when I was still working at Channel 9, at WAFB. I left in 1986 for ESPN. Skip Bertman has said, and I quote, ‘Dale Brown’s presence at Louisiana State University is worth more than my five national championships as head baseball coach.’ That’s Skip Bertman.”

   After hearing about the name change, Brando would go onto say on Crain & Company....
      “How dare Louisiana and LSU do this to them, and this is so typical of my state. Listen, I have great pride, as you know, in where I’m from. I love Louisiana… I’m pissed off, and it’s time other people get pissed off. Shaq, I’ve texted you, where are you? Make the calls, do it now. We have other people in power who could do something about this and stop it.”

   Gunter coached at LSU from 1982-2004, finishing with a 442-221 (.667) record. Gunter led the Lady Tigers to 14 NCAA Tournaments and two WNITs, winning one. She also directed LSU to 14 season of 20 wins or more, including a 30 win season. 

   Halfway through the 2003-2004 season, poor health forced Gunter to take a medical leave of absence, later being diagnosed with emphysema. Gunter would not return to her position and later passed away on August 4th, 2005. 

   LSU has since honored Sue Gunter with a very nice monument displaying her career achievements including a beautiful statue inside of the PMAC. 

   My anger towards this name change is in no way shape or form anything personal towards Coach Gunter. She was a wonderful person and a great basketball coach.

   My argument is that she's been honored already by the university and it's a slap in the face to Dale Brown to make this change. Coach Brown deserves to be singled out without sharing an honor. 

   If this is what the university wanted, then it should have been done from the beginning back when they voted  in 2021. It was discussed and voted against. Now, going back to re-vote on this so soon is embarrassing. It's like stating that they made a mistake. Naming the court, 'Dale Brown Court' was no mistake.
   
   "LSU names 'Dale Brown Court' on January 4, 2022. One year later LSU changes the naming of 'Dale Brown Court'." former basketball player Russell Grant said. "The naming of a court is suppose to be an honor of achievement. LSU has stripped the honor for all involved. Coach Brown did not deserve this and I feel really bad for him and his entire family."

   This shouldn't of happened. Who the hell is responsible for resurfacing this vote? It's been reported that Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards and LSU President William V. Tate were involved in pushing for the change. 
   
   You Mr. Governor should be worried about fixing the horrible problems with our state rather then putting your two cents in on a sports issue. 
   
   You Mr. William Tate should be more concerned with crime on the LSU campus and safety concerns of
the university and the students rather then pushing change on something that shouldn't be. 
   
   Where is Scott Woodward through all of this? Is Woodward a coward? He should have been the first person to speak up and put a stop to this.  

   "I'm hurt and in disbelief!" said former player Dennis Tracey. "This is disgraceful and an embarrassment. It cuts the heart out of the LSU men's basketball program. What cowards."

   If LSU feels the need to honor Coach Gunter with more than a shrine and statue in the concourse of the PMAC, then why not name the women's practice facility after her? Or better yet, build the women's basketball program their own 9,000 seat gymnasium on campus and they can name it 'Sue Gunter Arena'.

   "First off I think both coaches are legendary coaches." said former LSU basketball player Maurice Williamson.  "I do think it's a disservice to change the name of the basketball court. Nothing against Coach Gunter. She was a great coach. But I think Coach Brown did a little more for LSU, for his players and for the people of Louisiana. I'm still shocked and surprised to this day that they don't have a statue of Coach Brown outside of the PMAC to honor him."

   You simply don't bestow an honor on someone then strip it away, especially in such a short period of time. It's wrong and deceitful.

   LSU, you should be embarrassed and ashamed...   

   Keep it 'Dale Brown Court'!

*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

Da Boot Sports
2/25/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: Kent Lowe


   OXFORD, Mississippi – The Ole Miss Rebels shot 55 percent, including 62 percent in the final 20 minutes to score an 82-69 win over the LSU Tigers Saturday night at the Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. The Rebels were 18-of-29 in the second half and finished 32-of-58 for the game as Ole Miss kept LSU from cutting into a 35-26 deficit at the half by outscoring LSU, 47-43.

The win wiped out a 29-point effort by fifth year senior KJ Williams. Williams hit 10-of-18 field goals with two treys and 7-of-8 at the line to follow up his 35-point effort against Vanderbilt on Wednesday.

LSU led for much of the first 15 minutes of the game, building as much as a seven-point advantage at 15-8 with 9:38 to go in the half. But Ole Miss began to assert itself at that point and after Trae Hannibal made two free throws to tie the game at 19-19, Ole Miss outscored LSU, 16-7 including a 10-0 run to take the 35-26 halftime advantage that would have been larger had Williams not hit a three-pointer at the buzzer.

The second half went completely toward the offensive end as both teams shot 50 percent in the final 20 minutes for the second straight game.

LSU scored the first five points of the half on two Williams free throws and a Miller three to make the Rebel lead just 35-31. LSU had a chance to get even closer on an Ole Miss turnover, but Tyrell Ward missed a three-pointer and Ole Miss scored back-to-back buckets to increase the lead back to eight, 39-31, and LSU could get no closer than the four at the start of the half.

“Number one, credit to Ole Miss. They had had a lot go on here in the last 48 hours and I thought they came out really inspired and played together with great energy,” said LSU Coach Matt McMahon. “They just really manhandled us on the perimeter. Bumped us off every cut, really physical. Then, as you saw there, especially in the second half, unable to guard them. Just got beat time and time again off the dribble.

“In the first half, you get off to the great start, 15-8, obviously they were trying to double KJ (Williams), they were trying to take him away in the post. We got some good looks on those doubles, we were unable to knock them down and then we also took a couple of just horrific shots off the dribble that really hurt us in that stretch. Then to close it out there, every time we got it down to six or seven, we just couldn’t get a stop. They scored on almost every possession in the second half.”

“Really unfortunate, I thought we made some progress there. We had some untimely turnover and those 13 turnovers, the turnover battle pretty similar, but they (Ole Miss) convert theirs into 16 points. We only turned our forced turnovers into four. That ended up being a big difference in the game as well.”

Besides the 29 from Williams, Adam Miller had 15 points and five assists on the night. Cam Hayes also had five assists. LSU shot 15-of-30 in the first half and made 5-of-14 from the arc in the second half after opening the game 2-of-13 from distance. LSU finished 24-of-54 for 44.4 percent and 7-of-27 from the arc. LSU was 14-of-15 from the free throw line.

For the first time in several games, the Tigers also gave up points on turnovers to the advantage of 16-4 in favor of Ole Miss. LSU turned the ball over 13 times but against Ole Miss’ 10 turnovers the Tigers could only get four points.

“Really unfortunate, I thought we made some progress there. We had some untimely turnovers and those 13 turnovers, the turnover battle pretty similar, but they (Ole Miss) convert theirs into 16 points. We only turned our forced turnovers into four. That ended up being a big difference in the game as well,” said Coach McMahon

Ole Miss was led by Jaemyn Brakefield who owned the paint for the Rebels, scoring 23 points with 10 rebounds, making 8-of-10 field goals and going 7-of-7 at the line. Amaree Abram had 14 points, Myles Burns 12 and Matthew Murrell 11. Ole Miss’ final shooting percentage was 55.2 percent and the Rebels were 9-of-21 from three for 42.9 percent.

The Rebels posted a 42-24 advantage in points in the paint and tied LSU with 28 rebounds.

​The Tigers will play their final home game of the season on Wednesday night against Missouri. Senior night tributes will begin at 7:45 p.m. and the game will tip just after 8 p.m. CT. Tickets are available at LSUTix.net.