Senior guard Andre Stringer topped the 1,000-point career scoring mark in the LSU basketball team’s 88-74 victory against Northwestern State at the PMAC on Saturday night.
Stringer’s milestone was a part of a huge second-half run that allowed the Tigers (1-1) to pull away from the Demons (2-1). The senior guard finished with 21 points and seven rebounds to lead LSU in its home-opener.
“I don’t really pay attention to how many points I have or things like that,” Stringer said. “I don’t read before the game. I just go in and try to play. I realized it when they put it on the Jumbotron when we were at a timeout.”
The Tigers started fast and pushed the pace with a balanced scoring attack, racing out to a 26-14 lead. But a 1-of-15 shooting stretch hampered the LSU onslaught, and it finished with a 31.7 percent clip in the first half.
Eight Tigers recorded points in the first half, and junior forward Johnny O’Bryant picked up nine points and seven rebounds despite sitting the final five and a half minutes of the first half. Northwestern State junior forward DeQuan Hicks kept his team in the game with 10 points and six boards, and LSU led 40-31 at the break.
The Demons came out of the half in a defensive zone that confounded the Tigers’ offense in the early stages of the second half. Northwestern State cut the deficit to four points before a barrage of 3-pointers and transition buckets sparked a 22-7 run that put LSU up for good.
“It was a tough at first, and we had to adjust,” O’Bryant said. “It was a fast-paced game, so there were a bunch of ups and downs. They slowed us down, and we made too many turnovers. Once we got used to it, we just started making plays.”
LSU out-rebounded the Demons 64-40, and both O’Bryant and freshman forward Jordan Mickey finished with double-doubles for the second time in as many games this season. O’Bryant put up 21 points and 14 rebounds, while Mickey pitched in 10 points, 13 boards and six blocks.

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Connor Tarter

LSU freshman guard Tim Quarterman (55) attempts to score Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013 during the Tigers' 88-74 victory against Northwestern State in the PMAC.