Up 21 points and in firm control of perhaps its most complete performance of the season, LSU wasn’t searching for a dagger when College of Charleston brought the ball up court after a Tiger turnover with 14:08 to go.
Jordan Mickey thought otherwise.
He blocked Charleston guard Joe Chealey on a layup. Canyon Barry got the offensive board. Mickey blocked his shot too. Glen Pierre, Jr. corralled it for a third chance.
Mickey swatted that nearly into the stands.
“I know I’m a shot blocker,” Mickey said. “I was able to get three of them. We never looked back.”
Freshman guard Jalyn Patterson took the ensuing inbounds pass and sent it off to junior guard Keith Hornsby. Hornsby buried a 3-pointer from the right wing and LSU took a 45-21 lead as it steamrolled College of Charleston 71-47 in the PMAC.

The win extended the Tigers’ (9-2) winning streak to six games, tied for the longest in coach Johnny Jones’ tenure.
“Our guys did a tremendous job of being focused, playing with a great deal of intensity,” Jones said. “A good sign for this basketball team.”
Sophomore forward Jarell Martin did not start the game after being involved in a minor car accident off campus that prevented him from attending the team’s morning shootaround. He was not injured and the demotion was not disciplinary, according to both coach and pupil.
“Coach wanted someone off the bench that was more focused and ready,” Martin said after the game.
Martin, who checked in with 15:53 to go in the first half, proved to be as focused and ready as ever, scoring nine points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing two assists in just 13 minutes of first half action.
He immediately hit cutting sophomore guard Tim Quarterman off an inbounds play for an easy layup then scored seven of the Tigers’ next 12 points, sparking an 18-4 run to give LSU a 16-point lead with just more than eight minutes left in the half.
Martin finished the game one rebound short of a double-double, but led all scorers with 18 points in just 26 minutes. Mickey was close behind with 15 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks, adding to the Tigers’ season-high of 11 swatted shots.
Spearheaded by associate coach Eric Musselman’s preaching in practice, a stalwart Tiger defense limited the Cougars to 28.1 percent shooting from the field, including a 3-for-11 clip from behind the 3-point line.
“Talking, talking on D,” sophomore guard Tim Quarterman said. “Musselman talked about that all week in practice. Talking on defense, helping out each other. I think we went out and did it and it worked for us tonight.”
Quarterman and Martin concurred. The win was LSU’s most complete of the season – aside from 21 turnovers – and was a welcome sign as the team heads home for Christmas with family.
Before it headed home, though, Martin said the team succeeded in finishing one more thing on its list.
“It feels good,” Martin said. “That’s our Christmas gift to the coaches, getting this victory. It was a must get for us.”
Jones added after the game that junior guard Josh Gray, who has been sidelined with a sprained ankle suffered against Sam Houston State, could have suited up had it been a Southeastern Conference game. He expects Gray to be in uniform when the Tigers return to action on Dec. 29 against Southern Mississippi.