Coming off a three game losing streak and losing six of its last seven games, LSU men’s basketball picked itself off the mat with a 76-68 win against Texas A&M.
Xavier Pinson was back in the starting lineup for LSU and played significant minutes for the first time since getting injured on Jan. 8. His absence was a big part of LSU’s slump over the last seven games, and having him back in the lineup made a huge difference in the game for the Tigers.
“He makes a huge difference for us,” Head Coach Will Wade said when talking about the impact having Pinson back had on the team.
On both ends of the court LSU looked more cohesive and like a team which speaks volumes to Pinson’s leadership as a point guard. Pinson would go on to finish with 11 points and two assists and was a floor general throughout the night for the Tigers on both ends. This was not the first time Pinson played since first sustaining his injury, but was the first time he saw significant action and claimed he finally felt more like himself in this game.
“I can admit that the first two times I tried to play I was nowhere near ready,” Pinson said. “I felt great out there today, happy to be back with the guys.”
LSU started the game on fire, getting out to a 36-16 lead at halftime in what Wade described as a “defensive clinic.” The Tigers held Texas A&M to just 16 points and the Aggies were abysmal from the field shooting 21% in the first half. On the other end of the floor, LSU had one if its best shooting halves of the season, shooting 54% from the field and an amazing 70% from beyond the arc. Tari Eason had yet another great game scoring, adding 25 points which led LSU in scoring. Eason spoke about how it felt to break the losing streak and how this momentum will help them moving forward.
“Today it felt like it did in the beginning of the season again,” Eason said, talking about the win. “Obviously we had some slippage, but these are things we can come back to, correct and watch film on.”
Eason was right about the slippage, as despite the win LSU still made its fair share of mistakes and gave Texas A&M life in the second half. The Tigers committed 22 turnovers on the night, which almost ended up being costly with Texas A&M making a surge in the second half. LSU also gave up 52 points in the second half, and a lot of that had to do with Texas A&M’s 12 offensive rebounds in the second half. Turnovers and rebounding have been struggles for LSU all season, but a strong first half was enough to offset these difficulties and allow LSU to close out a much needed win.
This win will undoubtedly give LSU some much needed confidence going into a crucial stretch of SEC play that will go a long way in determining where the Tigers will be in March. LSU’s next three games are against Mississippi State, Georgia and South Carolina which are all very winnable games, especially with the Tigers at full strength which they appear to be now.
