If its first six conference games were any indication, LSU’s first ten minutes of Saturday’s game were just a part of the script.
Down 17 in the blink of an eye, the Tigers (12-7, 3-5 Southeastern Conference) revamped their patented pressure and turned to sophomore guard Anthony Hickey in the second half as they rallied to take a thrilling 69-68 victory against Mississippi State in Starkville.
Hickey scored the last seven points of the contest for LSU, sinking the Bulldogs (7-13, 2-6 SEC) with one of his trademark floaters in the lane with 1.4 seconds remaining to push the Tigers to their second conference win in three games.
“[Hickey] took it upon himself and got inside the lane, poised, and knocked it down,” said LSU coach Johnny Jones in his post-game radio interview. “The reason we were in that position was because of the plays he made before.”
The Tigers were downright awful to begin the contest, plagued by shooting woes and ten first half turnovers, going into the locker room down 40-26 and shooting a woeful 25 percent from the field.
Clawing its way back in the second half, the Tigers switched to a half-court press to stymie the potent Bulldog offense while LSU began to find its rhythm from the field and Mississippi State struggled from the foul line.
Although LSU finished only 4-for-25 from 3-point land, Hickey drilled a trey with 49 seconds left to pull the Tigers within two – the closest it had been since the opening tip.
After a quick layup from Bulldog sophomore Trivante Bloodman, Mississippi State called its final timeout to draw up a defensive scheme that was eventually broken by Hickey, who provided heroics against the Bulldogs that evoked memories of last season’s LSU victory in the PMAC.
Hickey finished with 12 points to go along with sophomore forward Johnny O’Bryant III’s 12 and junior forward Shavon Coleman’s 11 points, both of whom fouled out in the waning minutes.
Playing most of the second half with four fouls, Hickey impressed Jones with his intelligent play down the stretch.
“I thought he played extremely smart,” Jones said. “I’m glad we rolled with it and he made excellent plays down the stretch.”
LSU forward Shavon Coleman (5) pulls away an offensive rebound from Mississippi State forward Gavin Ware (20) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Starkville, Miss., Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. LSU won 69-68. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
