It was just an exhibition against NAIA Loyola of New Orleans, but the LSU basketball team flashed some up tempo offense and a lot of 3-pointers for a 110-48 opening victory Tuesday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The Tigers – 17-16 overall last season with a 9-9 mark in the Southeastern Conference – put several new faces from the NCAA Transfer Portal and their No. 14 recruiting class on display. Senior guard Cam Carter, a transfer from Kansas State originally from Donaldsonville, scored 21 points with five 3-pointers in eight attempts for a game-high 21 points along with three assists in 21 minutes.
Senior transfer guard Jordan Sears from Tennessee-Martin added 16 points and 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point range with three assists. LSU returning sophomore guard Mike Williams III scored 11 off the bench with 3-of-6 shooting from 3-point range.
The Tigers shot a blistering 48 percent from beyond the arc (18 of 37). LSU outscored Loyola, 31-3, in the first nine minutes.
“From an offensive standpoint, I liked it when we were sharing the basketball,” third-year LSU coach Matt McMahon said. “Balls popping around. Guys stepping up, knocking down a lot of good looks from behind the three-point line.”
Senior transfer guard Dji Bailey of Richmond scored 10 points with four assists and hit one 3-pointer out of three. Returning junior forward Jalen Reed scored 10 points with five rebounds. And true freshman Curtis Givens III hit 10 points with 2-of-3 shooting from 3-point range off the bench.
True freshman Robert Miller III started at forward with Reed and guards Carter, Sears and Bailey. He scored seven points with nine rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots.
“Think you saw the experience of Jordan Sears, Dji Bailey and Cam Carter,” McMahon said.
LSU led 54-12 at halftime.
“I thought in the first half, we were able to be disruptive on the defensive end,” he said. “We were able to make them uncomfortable in the first half with the pressure.”
The Tigers forced 19 turnovers and had 12 steals while turning it over just nine times. They outrebounded Loyola, 48-29.
“We did a solid job on the defensive glass, which enabled us to get out in transition and take advantage of our speed and quickness,” McMahon said. “I thought that was all activated by the defensive pressure on the ball.”
LSU opens the season on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at home against Louisiana-Monroe.
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