When LSU pulled ahead by one with 15 seconds left on the strength of two clutch Will Baker free throws, there was no release.
Not yet. Not after what happened last time.
When the Tigers had finally clinched the 67-66 victory seconds later, it was a sigh of relief.
LSU gave Georgia two chances, because of an offensive rebound, and twice met them at the rim to contest layups. In the end, the Tigers had luck on their side.
“It was just chaos,” guard Jordan Wright said.
In LSU’s first match with Georgia, about a month earlier, the final minutes were similarly tight. The Tigers pulled ahead late thanks to a Jalen Cook and-one layup and forced a miss on Georgia’s initial shot of the final possession.
READ MORE: PHOTOS: LSU men’s basketball defeats Georgia 67-66 in the PMAC
However, LSU couldn’t seal the deal then. Georgia came down with the offensive rebound, which turned into two points at the free-throw line.
LSU was able to narrowly avoid that outcome this time around, despite losing a 15-point lead when Georgia pulled ahead in the last six minutes. Wright, who led the team with 17 points, and the Tigers made just enough plays to come out on top, in doing so improving to 7-8 in Southeastern Conference play.
“I’m just thankful we won,” head coach Matt McMahon said.
LSU offense started hot but cooled off
LSU had a great first half, making 58.3% of its shots with seven 3-pointers compared to Georgia’s 30.3% from the field. However, the Tigers led by only 13 at the half, mainly due to their 11 first half turnovers.
In the second half, those shooting numbers stabilized, with LSU coming back down to earth and Georgia beginning to find more rhythm. Georgia was quickly right back in it, and the Tigers failing to put more distance between the two teams in the first half was pivotal.
“I think we did get a little bit complacent,” Wright said.
As the game drew to its end, LSU’s offense struggled to score, in part because it was going against a set defense more often with Georgia’s offense beginning to score.
When LSU and Georgia met for the first time in Athens, it was a similar story offensively. The Tigers slogged to a 16-turnover night, shooting 38.6% from the floor and struggling to finish at the rim.
READ MORE: LSU hoops roundtable: Can LSU women’s hoops earn 3-seed? Men’s hoops postseason hopes alive?
That was a different Georgia team than the one that walked in on Tuesday. Since that game, Georgia has lost seven of eight.
In that span, the Bulldogs have allowed opponents to make 49.9% of their shots, which would rank second-to-last in the nation. Much of the damage against Georgia has been done in the paint, where it has really struggled to match physicality.
Still, the Bulldogs defense hung in enough to hold LSU to 34.8% from the field in the second half and force 16 turnovers in the match.
“I thought they came out and played really, really good halfcourt man defense,” McMahon said. “It was very disruptive. We never got into a rhythm.”
Trae Hannibal’s leadership made a difference
Hannibal will be the first to tell you that despite a career-high 22 points, his performance against Mississippi State on Saturday was unacceptable. He made tough layup after tough layup, but more prominent were the plays he didn’t make.
He had seven turnovers in that game and was clearly affected by Mississippi State’s aggressive defense. On the other end, he allowed his primary assignment, Mississippi State guard Josh Hubbard, to go for 32 points.
Hannibal seemed much more comfortable quarterbacking the offense on Tuesday. He kept the team on schedule and made accurate passes to finish plays, giving him eight assists.
On the other end, Hannibal’s effort, particularly in fighting his way through screens, disrupted the Georgia offense and caused a few turnovers. Incredibly, that effort never waned over the 39 minutes of game time Hannibal played.
With Cook still out with a leg injury, Hannibal has been asked to carry a huge load at the point guard spot, which he’s handled well.
READ MORE: LSU baseball takes revenge defeating Stony Brook 18-10 in final weekend game
What’s next?
On Saturday, LSU will head over to Nashville for a rematch with Vanderbilt, which the Tigers beat 77-69 in the first meeting in Baton Rouge. LSU led by as many as 15 in the game and produced a convincing defensive performance, coming up with 11 steals.
The Commodores have gone 2-12 so far this year in the SEC, and, according to the NET rankings, are the conference’s worst team.
The matchup against Vanderbilt will be Wright’s first game back at the stadium he played in for four years with the Commodores.
