Akron came into this game as one of the more intimidating opponents of LSU’s early non-conference schedule, not only finishing last season as MAC-tournament champions and earning an NCAA tournament bid, but also nearly upsetting four-seeded UCLA in the Round of 64. Though it met expectations early against LSU, the Tigers pulled away in the second half, winning 73-58 to advance to the final round of the Cayman Islands Classic.
The game started off as one of streaks. After LSU got out to a 20-13 lead off of three straight three pointers, Akron responded by outscoring the Tigers 20-5 in the next five minutes of game time, forcing tough shots and turnovers, dominating the boards and drawing fouls with ease.
The Zips grabbed 10 offensive rebounds in the first half alone, and 12 of their 35 points in the period came from the foul line. That coupled with LSU shooting poorly from two-point range had Akron heading into the break with a 35-33 lead.
“I thought our block outs were pretty good, but the part we forgot [was] you got to go get the dang ball,” Head Coach Matt McMahon told reporters after the game. “Sometimes you need to throw your technique out the window and just go get the ball.”
This team entered the second half in an unfamiliar situation, trailing to start the period for the first time this season. To make matters worse, star big man KJ Williams picked up his third foul early in the period and had to sit out the next few minutes, with the game still neck-and-neck.
Fortunately for LSU, the defense clamped up and Adam Miller caught fire.
After the Zips narrowed LSU’s lead to two with a technical free throw, the Tigers forced turnovers on three straight Akron possessions before Miller made back-to-back shots to extend their lead to seven, the biggest lead the team had obtained since midway through the first half.
He added another jumper a few minutes later to give LSU its first double-digit lead of the game. Then, when Akron’s star scorer Xavier Castaneda made back-to-back shots to temporarily get his team back into the game, Miller responded with another three to extinguish any momentum the Zips had left.
His last contribution score-wise came in the form of a dagger three, granting LSU its biggest lead of the night at 15 with just over two minutes to go, which it maintained through the rest of the game.
“I know everyone gets wowed by his shooting, but he is an elite defender when he’s dialed in there and an incredibly smart basketball player,” McMahon said on Miller. “You saw his ability to move without the ball today and get buckets for us.”
The Tigers picked up their fifth straight win to start the season, but their time in the Cayman Islands is not over yet. They will face the winner of Nevada and Kansas State for a chance to claim first place at the Cayman Islands Classic tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. CT.
