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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   Also, if you would like to become a sponsor or interested in making a donation to help fund the publication please contact Terrill at [email protected]

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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)