LSU Starts Fast, But Can’t Keep Up With Ole Miss And Falls To 0-3 In SEC

GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

LSU looked like a new team in the first half Saturday night as it outscored No. 23 Ole Miss, 15-0, over a five-minute stretch to take a 15-7 lead at the 10:43 mark on a Cam Carter layup. And the Tigers were still in a good game at the half, trailing 28-26.

But LSU continued to be unable to sustain good play for more than a half in Southeastern Conference action and found itself behind by double digits for most of the second half after just four minutes in. And the Tigers lost, 77-65, in front of 9,406 at the SJB Pavilion in Oxford, Mississippi.

LSU (11-5, 0-3 SEC) will have a decent chance for its first win of the league season on Tuesday when it hosts Arkansas (11-5, 0-3 SEC) at 8 p.m. on the SEC Network. The Razorbacks are in the same dire situation as the Tigers. Arkansas fell, 71-63, to No. 8 Florida at home on Saturday after losing its opener at No. 1 Tennessee, 76-52, and also lost to Ole Miss, 73-66, at home.

“Desperation is the word,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said after the game on the LSU Radio Network when asked about the last-place matchup. “I’m sure they’ll come in with the same mindset.”

The Tigers must get a win, or they could be looking at an 0-7 start. After Arkansas, LSU plays at No. 10 Texas A&M on Saturday (7:30 p.m., SEC Network), at home against No. 5 Alabama the next Saturday and then hosts No. 2 Auburn on Jan. 29.

“In the first half, I loved our defensive fight and toughness, the effort there in the half court. I thought it was the best we’ve played on that end of the floor all season,” McMahon said. “In that 15-0 run, we took care of the ball, got some good looks, but the half-court defense was huge.”

LSU’s turnover bug bit again early in the second half, and the Tigers finished with 17 miscues on the night, including most by the guards once again.

“The pick-six turnovers (for fastbreak buckets largely uncontested) – we’d be better get off with a shot clock violation than these turnovers out front that lead to transition layups,” McMahon said.

Before you knew it, Ole Miss led 40-30 with 16:06 to play, and it kept growing. LSU guards Curtis Givens III, Carter, Dji Bailey and Jordan Sears had 13 of the 17 turnovers. Givens started in place of Sears, but he scored only six points on 2-of-8 shooting. Carter led LSU with 16. Sears scored 10 off the bench with six assists and three steals. Forward Daimion Collins scored 14.

The Rebels led by as many as 21 at 75-54 in the final minutes. Forward Malik Dia led the Rebels (14-2, 3-0 SEC) with 19 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots. Forward Jaemyn Brakefield added 16 off the bench with five rebounds.

LSU also improved its rebounding and won that battle, 33-32, but the turnovers killed the Tigers, and LSU didn’t shoot well from 3-point range – 7 of 31 for 22 percent.

“Disappointing in the turnovers to start the second half, but we’ve got to get back to work and get ready for Arkansas,” McMahon said. “We have to look for solutions.”