By CODY WORSHAM | Tiger Rag Editor
Tremont Waters scored 18 points and handed out 8 assists, and Brandon Sampson (12 points on 4-of-7 shooting0 and Skylar Mays (14 points on 4-of-9 shooting) combined for 20 second-half points to push LSU past Memphis 71-61 for the 100th career win for head coach Will Wade.
LSU knocked down 13-of-25 from 3, while Memphis managed just 4-of-21 against Wade’s zone defense.
Here’s a quick recap.
FIRST HALF
Memphis landed the game’s first punch, a Kyvon Davenport 3, and remained a lick ahead in a blow-by-blow affair. He and Tremont Waters hit the game’s first two shots and would do most of the blow-trading in the first period. LSU tied its hosts nine times in the first 20 minutes but needed 17 minutes to take its first lead. Wayde Sims hammered home a dunk off a Mays dish to tie it at 23 before a Davenport three, his second of the night, keyed a 10-3 Memphis run.
LSU responded in full measure, using an 8-0 run, capped off by an Aaron Epps three-pointer, to pull ahead 34-33 under the three-minute mark. Sims’ putback looked to send the visitors into the locker room with a lead, but Jimario Rivers beat the buzzer from point-blank range – Memphis’ first field goal in more than five minutes – to tie things at 36 after 20 minutes.
The hosting Tigers dominated around the rim, with a 21-14 rebounding advantage and a 20-12 paint points lead. LSU used the deep ball to stay connected, knocking down 7-of-14 from beyond the arc.
SECOND HALF
Skylar Mays heated up after the break, scoring 10 of LSU’s first 11 points in the second half. After sinking a pair of free throws, he nailed consecutive 3-pointers before Waters dished to Brandon Sampson for a layup and a 10-0 run to put the Tigers up 50-43 with 13:51 left. Waters’ layup after a Memphis timeout extended the run to 12-0, and Epps answered a Parks putback with a 3 – assisted by Waters – to push LSU’s advantage to double figures.
Five straight from Jeremiah Martin closed Memphis’ gap to seven, and Mays headed to the bench with a fourth foul with eight minutes to go. But Edwards drove and dished to Sampson for a three from the left corner to quiet the run. Waters went back to Sampson with three minutes left for another three, this time from the right corner, to put LSU up 70-59 with three minutes to go. LSU struggled at the line down the stretch, hitting just 5-of-12 free throws despite entering with a 76 percent clip, but Memphis shot just 29.6 percent from the floor after halftime and just 8 percent from 3.
KEY STATS
19-18: After getting outrebounded 21-14 in the first half, LSU beat Memphis on the boards 19-18 after halftime.
11: Skylar Mays second-half points
39: LSU points from 3
12: Memphis points from 3
QUOTES
Will Wade: "It was a good road win. We guarded a little bit better. Our zone was pretty good. We did a good job of taking away the high post and forcing them to the corner."
— Cody Worsham (@CodyWorsham) December 29, 2017
Wade: "We have to get better at salting away wins. A lot of our guys haven't won a lot of road games. This was a good way to get started."
— Cody Worsham (@CodyWorsham) December 29, 2017
Wade: "I thought Mays got us going to start the half. We tried to run some intricate stuff. At halftime, we just said, let's scrap it. We just let (Tremont) go make plays for other people. Skylar was the beneficiary of that. He was able to get us going."
— Cody Worsham (@CodyWorsham) December 29, 2017
Wade on Sampson: "I thought Sampson played a really good floor game. He had a couple big rebounds down the stretch."
— Cody Worsham (@CodyWorsham) December 29, 2017
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