Sophomore forward Johnny O’Bryant III scored almost half of LSU’s points as he set a new career high with 30 points in a 64-46 victory at South Carolina on Thursday night.
O’Bryant’s 30 points are the most in a single game for LSU since forward Tasmin Mitchell dropped 38 points against Auburn in 2010. O’Bryant tacked on 10 rebounds, good for his tenth double-double of the season and his seventh in the last eight games.
“Defensively, [O’Bryant] played extremely hard,” said LSU coach Johnny Jones in a post-game radio interview. “He played solid on both ends of the floor. … On the offensive end, you have to give Johnny a great deal of credit. They were trying to force him off the block. He was extremely patient, got great angles to the basket and really finished at the rim.”
The Tigers (14-8, 5-6 Southeastern Conference) have won four of their last five games, with their only loss coming at Alabama. The victory avenges their 82-73 overtime loss to the Gamecocks (12-12, 2-9 SEC) in January and splits the season series at 1-1, with the road team winning each contest.
Both squads started off slowly, but played each other closely through the first half. O’Bryant scored 10 of the Tigers’ first 14 points, carrying them to a 26-24 halftime lead.
But LSU caught fire coming out of the break, going on an 18-8 run to begin the second half. O’Bryant continued to exert his dominance in the paint, outmuscling the Gamecock defenders on his way to a 68.4 percent shooting clip.
LSU allowed a season-best 46 points against South Carolina, and senior forward Lakeem Jackson was the only Gamecock to score in double digits. The Tigers pulled down 14 more rebounds than the Gamecocks, who shot 28 percent on the night.
The Tigers shut down South Carolina freshman forward Michael Carrera, who finished with eight points and eight rebounds for the Gamecocks. Carrera gave LSU fits in the teams’ previous matchup, recording 10 rebounds and a career-high 23 points.
“It’s probably one of the most complete games we’ve played all year in terms of defending extremely well,” Jones said. “… Then on the offensive end, I thought we did an excellent job of being patient, getting the ball inside and getting touches inside.”
The Tigers will return to the hardwood at 4 p.m. on Saturday when they square off with Mississippi State in the PMAC. LSU pulled out a 69-68 victory Feb. 2 in Starkville, Miss., courtesy of a game-winning shot from sophomore point guard Anthony Hickey with 1.5 seconds left in the game.
LSU's Johnny O'Bryant III, left, and Shavon Coleman (5) battle for the rebound during the first half of their NCAA college basketball game against South Carolina, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastian)
