The LSU basketball team is only three days removed from its season-opening, two-point loss at Massachusetts, but the vibe around the squad suggests something different.
Though the Tigers (0-1) lost freshman forward Jarell Martin to an ankle injury and missed several shots against the Minutemen, they remained optimistic about moving forward. Players acknowledged the squandered opportunities, and they have a chance to improve in those situations Saturday when they host Northwestern State at 7 p.m. in the PMAC.
“In the locker room, they were very disappointed because we went up [to Massachusetts] on a mission: to win a basketball game and compete at the highest level,” said LSU coach Johnny Jones. “I thought the guys left it out there on the floor and played extremely hard. We can look back as a team and a staff, and we were only a few plays away from coming out of there with a victory.”
Jones confirmed LSU will be without the services of Martin on Saturday, who called his injury a high ankle sprain. Martin wore a boot on his right foot during player interviews Thursday and said there is no timetable for his return.
“Seeing [my teammates] play made me want to be out there with them to help my team,” Martin said. “But I couldn’t get out there because I was in too much pain.”
Last season, the Tigers had to stave off a late run by the Demons (1-0) to grab a 102-95 victory. Then-sophomore forward DeQuan Hicks scored 28 points off the bench, and he figures to be a challenge once again for an LSU frontcourt without Martin.
Northwestern State hauled in 50 rebounds in its season-opening, 16-point victory against LeTourneau last Friday. LSU out-rebounded Massachusetts 43-40, and junior forward Johnny O’Bryant III said the Tigers are focused on controlling the glass.
“Against Xavier, we definitely should have dominated the boards,” O’Bryant said. “But [Massachusetts] was just as big as us, so dominating them would have been kind of hard. We did win the rebound battle, but missing a guy like Jarell [Martin] hurts when it comes to rebounding, so we did a great job for what we had.”
LSU made 15 of 25 free throws on Tuesday, and Jones and his players agreed the need for improvement at the charity stripe. The Tigers also harped on decreasing their number of fouls, as they were whistled 29 times against the Minutemen.
While players acknowledged their disappointment with Tuesday’s defeat, they seem to have drawn a lesson from it: when the Demons pay a visit to Baton Rouge, the little things may make the difference between a win and a loss.
“We’ve got to stay out of foul trouble, and we can’t have wasted possessions,” O’Bryant said. “I think I had four turnovers, which is way too many in a game against a great team like [Massachusetts]. You live and learn.”
“We’ve got to stay out of foul trouble, and we can’t have wasted possessions …You live and learn.”
Who: LSU (0-1) vs. Northwestern State (1-0)
When: Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m.
Where: PMAC
Watch/Listen at: 98.1 FM