All it took was five minutes.
The LSU men’s basketball team kept it close for about 10 minutes. Then Kentucky dropped the hammer.
The No. 4 Wildcats (22-1, 7-1) used a 22-0 first half run to drown any hopes of an upset en route to thumping LSU, 81-55, Saturday in the PMAC.
“They’re for real,” said LSU coach Trent Johnson. “I thought we had really good energy to start.”
Wildcat freshman forward DeMarcus Cousins scored 19 points and snatched 13 rebounds to lead Kentucky in the rout. Junior forward Partrick Patterson contributed 16 points.
Junior guard Bo Spencer led LSU’s effort with 25 points. Senior forward Tasmin Mitchell could only manage 10 points on the night.
LSU raced out to a 6-1 lead, energizing both the crowd and the team. It didn’t last long.
Behind the height of Kentucky’s frontcourt, particularly Cousins, the Wildcats outscored LSU, 41-8, after that point to take a 42-14 lead into halftime.
 
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