LSU Takes Down Kentucky, 65-60 on 'Dale Brown Court' Night

Photo By: Terrill Weil

Da Boot Sports
1/6/2022
By: David Penn


   Baton Rouge, La - Coach Will Wade and the #21 LSU Tigers defeated the 13th ranked Kentucky Wildcats, 65-60 in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Tuesday night in front of 11,808 electric fans.
   The huge win was the icing on the cake to a special night as LSU honored legendary coach Dale Brown before the game and again at halftime by naming the basketball court, 'Dale Brown Court'....

   “It was a good win. I wish we would have closed it out a little bit better."  Will Wade said.  "I did not think we had a great start to the second half, to state the obvious. But I thought our guys played really hard. We were able to overcome some of our deficiencies because we played so hard. We did a nice job on the backboards. We battled really hard on the glass. You have to protect your home court in SEC play, and we were able to do that.”


   Kentucky opened the scoring with a 3 pointer by guard TyTy Washington Jr, but LSU answered with an 8-0 run with Brandon Murray and Xavier Pinson each sinking shots from beyond the arc.
   The two teams would battle back and forth swapping lead changes until LSU ended the first half on a 7-2 run to take a 35-30 lead into the locker room.
    In the first half LSU shot 12-29 from the field, including 5-10 from 3 point range, while Kentucky shot just 12-36 from
the field and was only 1-11 from beyond the arc.
   LSU out-worked Kentucky on the glass, grabbing the edge in rebounds 25-21. Costly charging fouls ended
Kentucky possessions prematurely and good LSU defense helped keep the Wildcats off balance.
    
   LSU began the second half ice cold, failing to convert on offense over the first 3:04, and the Wildcats would take advantage,  draining back-to-back-to-back three pointers to open up a 9-0 run and take a 39-35 lead.
   Kentucky would lead by as many as 9 with 13:00 to play. LSU would use a combination of stifling defense and good
ball movement to trim the Kentucky lead to 50-48 with 7:46 to play after Kentucky would go over five minutes without scoring a basket.
   LSU’s 13-2 run, was capped by a 3 pointer by Darius Days which put the Tigers on top 54-52 with 6:15 remaining, a lead they would not relinquish. LSU would lead by as many as 9 before pulling out the 65-60 victory.
   Tari Eason led the Tigers in scoring with 13 points, while both Brandon Murray (10 pts.) and Xavier Pinson (11 pts.) scored in double figures. Darius Days scored 9 points while leading the team in rebounding with 7 boards.
   With the win, LSU improves to 12-1 (1-1 SEC) while Kentucky falls to 11-3 (1-1 SEC).

   Next the Tigers will host the #18 Tennessee Volunteers (9-3 overall and 0-1 in SEC) play in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Saturday, January 8. Tip Off is set for 5:00pm..

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Photos Below By: Jonathan Mailhes

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