It’s one of the easiest shots in basketball, but often times it isn’t a given.
In Tuesday night’s road win against Florida, the LSU men’s basketball team connected on 17-of-18 free throws in a dominating performance. The basket seemed to be the size of a pin hole, however, when the Tigers (15-4, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) were at the charity stripe in a 79-75 overtime squeaker against Vanderbilt.
The Tigers went 13-of-23 from the line Saturday night and couldn’t take advantage of numerous opportunities the Commodores (11-8, 1-5 SEC) gave them throughout the game. LSU had an opportunity to take its first lead of the half with 1:07 left in regulation with the game tied at 69 and sophomore forward Jordan Mickey at the line.
Continuing the trend, Mickey missed the second free throw, giving Vanderbilt life.
“It’s important in overtime to strike first,” said LSU coach Johnny Jones in a post-game radio interview. “[We needed] put the pressure on the opponent.”
Jones’ team did exactly that, taking a four-point advantage with 1:12 left in the extra period. With the game seeming to be headed LSU’s way, sophomore guard Tim Quarterman approached the free throw line with 19 seconds to go in the extra period with the Tigers leading, 77-75.
Quarterman missed both, leaving the door open for the Commodores again.
Even after all the missed freebies, Vandy couldn’t make LSU pay. Sophomore forward Jarell Martin sunk two at the line with three seconds to go in overtime, and LSU walked out of Memorial Gymnasium near the top of the SEC.
LSU free throw struggles are misleading on paper. The Tigers shoot 71.7 percent from the line, which is good enough for fifth in the conference, but it has been an Achilles’ heel in all four LSU losses. The Tigers shot an average of 63.5 percent from the free throw line in losses to Old Dominion, Clemson, Missouri and Texas A&M.
And if it isn’t free throw shooting, it has been turnovers. Jones’ club turned the ball over 19 times Saturday, four more than its average for the season entering into the game. With the exception of an only seven turnover performance against Sam Houston State, the Tigers have recorded double-digits turnovers in every game of the season.
The team, however, maintains fortitude when facing odds created by itself. Whether it’s clutch shooting in the second half or taking a charge at crucial moments, LSU now finds itself tied for second in the conference and 38th in the nation in the Ratings Percentage Index.