The LSU men’s basketball team got a taste of victory in its season opener, but it was bittersweet for coach Trent Johnson.
The Tigers (1-0) were out-rebounded and out-hustled by the Northwestern State Demons. Northwestern State pulled down 24 offensive boards and forced 25 LSU turnovers.
“Going into this year, we understand what we need to do and how we need to go about it to be effective,” Johnson said. “I didn’t expect to give up 24 offensive rebounds, but that’s putting a body on the guy.”
The Tigers will need a better effort tonight against the Nicholls State Colonels, who will be coming to the PMAC with a 0-1 record.
The Colonels nearly pulled off a victory against Houston in their season opener, dropping the contest, 63-62, in overtime in front of the Houston crowd.
Nicholls State features a prolific scorer on their roster who could give LSU fits.
Senior forward Anatoly Bose — who was born in Kazakhstan but calls Australia home — has been king in the castle for the Colonels after averaging 21.1 points per game in his junior campaign. Bose scored 22 points in the Colonels’ opener.
He scored 20 or more points in 20 of the Colonels’ 30 games last season, including three games in which he scored 40 points or more.
In last season’s contest against LSU, Bose lit up the scoreboard for 24 points — nearly enough to topple the Tigers in a game LSU won, 63-60.
The Tigers may have found some scorers of their own, however.
Freshman guards Andre Stringer and Ralston Turner each scored 21 points in LSU’s opener. The efforts were the most points scored by an LSU freshman since Glen “Big Baby” Davis scored 28 points in 2006.
“That is what they’ve been doing in practice. Neither one of them is afraid,” Johnson said. “We didn’t really have many problems on the perimeter. Nothing surprised me from that standpoint offensively.”
Stringer and Turner revived a perimeter attack that was lacking for the Tigers last season. The duo combined to launch all 15 of LSU’s 3-point attempts and made seven of them.
Stringer was especially impressive from beyond the arc, as he sank some of his shots from several feet behind the 3-point line.
“I try to be as aggressive as Coach lets me be,” Stringer said. “I want to get my teammates involved and do whatever we have to do.”
Sophomore guard Aaron Dotson also got in the mix for LSU in the opener. After only scoring in double figures three times in his freshman season, a healthy Dotson set a career high with 17 points in the opener.
Stringer and Turner’s mastery behind the 3-point line made penetration easier for a slashing Dotson.
“It stretches the defense, especially for me,” Dotson said after the game. “It opens up the driving lanes.”
Though LSU features a roster without a true center, the Tigers have a big size advantage on the Colonels.
Bose is the tallest player on Nicholls State’s roster at 6 feet 6 inches. LSU features seven players who are listed at 6 feet 7 inches or taller, which could add up to a sizable advantage in the rebound department for the Tigers.
The Colonels were out-rebounded, 34-25, in Houston, with guard Fred Hunter leading the team with eight rebounds.
Junior forward Garrett Green led the Tigers in rebounds in the opener, nabbing six in 11 minutes of playing time.
 
—-
Contact Luke Johnson at [email protected]