LSU’s bread and butter this season has been attacking the paint. When the Tiger offense has been at its best, the team has generated rim pressure and played off of its guards driving to the hoop.
That inside-out approach is what gave LSU a 68-53 upset win in its SEC opener on Saturday at Texas A&M. However, there was no evidence of such a strategy in the first half.
LSU had only 12 points in the paint in the first frame and shot 33.3% from the floor. The team seemed content to idly pass the ball around the perimeter, and players failed to get quality shots, instead settling for tough jumpers.
Despite that, the Tigers went into the halftime break down by just a slight margin of 32-30, aided by an A&M offense that was also struggling.
In the second half, LSU flipped a switch. There was an immediate and palpable shift in approach.
It started with Jordan Wright decisively driving to the net on LSU’s second possession of the half, rewarded with two free throws.
From there, the Tigers kept attacking. Their next seven makes were also in the paint. LSU began initiating its offense by driving toward the rim and making plays from there, with the defense in rotation.
LSU didn’t let its foot off the gas and finished with 24 points in the paint in the second frame, also shooting 47.1% from the floor and forcing 12 opponent turnovers.
All told, the Tigers outscored the Aggies 38-21 in the second half using its inside-out approach offensively. LSU was an 11.5-point underdog entering the game, but stunned Texas A&M and silenced the College Station crowd with a 68-53 win.
Last season, LSU also won its SEC opener, a thriller against top-10 Arkansas, but the Tigers had only one more SEC win for the rest of the regular season.
If LSU’s performance against A&M, ranked No. 22 in the nation by KenPom, is any indication, the team may be poised to surpass that total. As it stands, the team is halfway there.
The second-half turnaround was driven in large part by Wright, a graduate transfer from Vanderbilt. Though Wright has struggled with efficiency this season even while leading the team in points, his performance Saturday was an example of the veteran leadership he provides.
Despite the offense’s early struggles, Wright came out with intensity and focus in the second half, spurring the comeback.
Wright had 20 points on the night, followed by Jalen Cook with 13.
A&M endured several offensive lulls throughout the game, including an almost 10-minute stretch from the late first half to the early second half where it didn’t make a single shot from the floor.
Although the LSU defense made its fair share of plays, a lot of that ineffectiveness was due to the Aggies missing open shots.
Often as a result of aggressive defense on the perimeter, LSU has frequently given up open looks from 3-point range. The team has allowed the second-highest opposing shooting percentage from distance in the SEC.
It was no different against Texas A&M, but the Aggies couldn’t cash in on those quality looks, which has been the story for much of their season. On the season, the Aggies have made 27.4% of their 3-pointers.
A&M made only five of its 29 3-point attempts against LSU.
Texas A&M’s offensive struggles allowed LSU to keep close even amidst its own issues in the first half. Although A&M was the significantly more aggressive team in the first half, being rewarded with 17 free throws, the Aggies shot 29.6% from the floor in that frame.
LSU’s win also came as a result of an inspired effort on the boards.
Texas A&M entered the game as one of the best rebounding teams in the country, leading the NCAA with 18.7 offensive rebounds per game. Despite LSU possessing an abundance of size, the Tigers have been burned on occasion by second-chance points.
LSU rose to the challenge on the boards against Texas A&M and finished with one more offensive rebound than the Aggies. It was a group effort, as seven different players had three or more rebounds for the Tigers, led by Wright with 10.
Texas A&M’s most consistent source of offense was unsurprisingly Wade Taylor IV. The junior guard was the preseason pick for SEC Player of the Year, and he had his way with the Tigers.
Taylor made use of his impressive speed and frequently blew by LSU defenders for easy finishes at the rim. He finished with a game-high 23 points.
