The LSU basketball team lost its 14th straight game Tuesday night to the Auburn Tigers by a score of 98-75.
Sophomore guard Antonio Blakeney recorded his fifth straight game with over 20 points, but he says the losses sting the most.
“They all feel the same,” Blakeney said.
Blakeney’s dissatisfaction is shared most of all with his coach.
Johnny Jones expressed his concern over his players after tying a school record for most losses in a row.
“I think these guys have obviously been through a lot,” Jones said. “It’s been tough for them, the people around them.”
Jones says he knows his players are fighting hard for a win, but most importantly, he values his role as a leader and coach.
“I’ve been blessed that I’ve been built for what we’ve been going through, meaning that I’ve got to try to guide a group of men through this,” Jones said.
Jones stressed that he wants his players to compete harder on defense, and that attitude has shown through Blakeney, who says he isn’t focused on how well he’s been placing recently.
What is important to him is being able to compete with the rest of the SEC.
“We played Ole Miss, Arkansas, Alabama, every team pretty much so that we can compete with them,” Blakeney said. “We just got to figure out how to win the game.”
Blakeney insists that his team can compete for the remaining three games, but the agony of a disappointing season still lingers.