GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
Something got into LSU freshman forward Corey Chest Saturday at Alabama. And for much of the game, the No. 4 Crimson Tide could not stop the 6-foot-8, 220-pound man on fire.
Chest had 12 rebounds and seven points in the opening 11 minutes and 28 seconds of the Tigers’ 80-73 loss. He finished with a career-high 18 rebounds and 12 points with three blocked shots, two steals, an assist and only one turnover. He also missed three layups in a 4-of-9 shooting night.
The 18 rebounds – nine on each side – were the most by an LSU player since Darius Days had that many against Louisiana Tech in December of 2021. The 18 rebounds were also one more than Chest, a redshirt from McMain High in New Orleans and Link Academy in Branson, Missouri, had in LSU’s previous five Southeastern Conference games.
“He was everywhere on the floor,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said Monday as he prepares his Tigers (12-7, 1-5 SEC) to host No. 1 Auburn (18-1, 6-0 SEC) on Wednesday (SEC Network). “He got to the rim, finishing plays. He goes on the road and gets a double-double (his first in the SEC).”
LSU’S PLAY IMROVES AT BAMA, BUT CAN’T SHOOT WELL, AND IT’S ANOTHER LOSS
Chest’s previous high for rebounds was 13 in the Tigers’ 76-65 win at Kansas State on Dec. 14. He had seven double-digit rebound games in non-conference play, but in the SEC his rebound totals were 5, 2, 1, 6 and 3 before Alabama.
“I really challenged him last week,” McMahon said. “When you go back and look at the 13 rebounds in 21 minutes at Kansas State and some of his double-doubles in December (three), I just thought the energy and the motor he played with in those games was off the charts.”
But once in SEC play, opponents’ scouting reports focused on Chest’s significant rebounding.
“So, you’ve got to take that energy to even another level if you want to continue to perform the way he was in December,” McMahon said. “And I thought you saw that from the opening jump ball. He was flying around, making plays, blocking shots, chasing rebounds, had some really nice finishes at the basket. And that’s how he can continue to impact our team.”
VYCTTORIUS MILLER PRACTICES AMID FULL CONTACT
NOTES: Freshman guard Vyctorius Miller missed his third straight game with an ankle injury at Alabama, but practiced with full contact for the first time Monday morning since suffering the injury at Ole Miss on Jan. 11. “I thought he looked fairly effective,” McMahon said. “We’ll see how he looks (Tuesday) morning. As long as that practice goes as we would like, he would then be available for Wednesday’s game (vs. Auburn).” … Miller scored double-figure points in nine of 13 games before SEC play when he scored just six in three games. … Auburn leads the nation in blocked shots with 7.2 a game, is fourth in assist/turnover ratio at 1.82 a game and 16th in scoring with 84 a game
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