The LSU basketball team took advantage of some scorching shooting during the Thanksgiving break.
The Tigers parlayed their deft touch into two wins against non-conference foes Centenary and South Alabama, pushing their record to 4-2 on the season. The Tigers averaged 79 points in the wins.
“We’ve got some guys that can shoot the ball. We’ve got some young guys who are pretty skilled and pretty talented,” said LSU coach Trent Johnson. “We move the ball and shoot the ball well. With the exception of some of the careless turnovers, we have the look of a real balanced team.”
LSU has scored 78 points or more in all of its four wins. Last season the team only eclipsed 78 points three times in 31 games.
The efforts are undoubtedly helped by the arrival of sweet-shooting freshmen Ralston Turner and Andre Stringer and the resurgent play of sophomore Aaron Dotson, who combined to post 85 of the Tigers 158 points over the break.
The trio of guards were blazing from beyond the 3-point line, where they sank 64 percent of their 3-pointers  — combining to shoot 18-28 from deep.
The win also marked LSU basketball’s first victory away from the PMAC since they toppled Butler in the 2009 NCAA Tournament and the first win on the an opponent’s home court since LSU defeated Kentucky at the tail end of the 2008-09 season.
The Tigers and Dotson came out firing against Centenary last Wednesday. Dotson sank two 3-pointers in the opening minutes to give the Tigers an early 8-1 advantage they never relinquished.
LSU passed the Gents by a 42-point margin largely because of the shooting percentage and a 43-25 rebounding advantage. Stringer led the team with 16 points, and eight players scored six or more points in the win.
Junior forward Malcolm White also enjoyed what may have been his best game in an LSU jersey against Centenary. White scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting and nabbed seven rebounds in 21 minutes.
“One of the things Coach Johnson was telling us was that it doesn’t matter what opponent you’re playing or if they’re smaller,” White said in a postgame interview. “We still have to come out and execute, and that’s what good teams do.”
But it was LSU’s shooting performance against South Alabama on Sunday that may have opened some eyes.
The Tigers shot 70 percent from the 3-point line and shot 53 percent from the field in their 80-65 victory over South Alabama in Mobile.
Stringer led the scoring effort for the Tigers again, netting 21 points for the Tigers. The Mississippi native is averaging 16.7 points per game this season and has led the team or tied for the lead in scoring in every game this season.
LSU returns home tonight to face a 4-2 Houston squad that is coming off a 79-63 loss to TCU.
Houston’s starting lineup is very similar to LSU’s, featuring three guards and two forwards. The Cougars match Stinger and White with a prolific scorer in senior guard Adam Brown and a powerful post presence in senior forward Maurice McNeil.
The 6-foot-9 McNeil — a junior college transfer — is averaging nearly 12 points and 9 rebounds this season and could be the best post player the Tigers have seen so far this season. McNeil has tallied double-doubles in three games.
Like Stringer, Brown has scored in double figures in each of the Cougars’ six games this season. Brown is shooting at a blistering clip from beyond the 3-point line this season, having nailed 53.8 percent of his 3-point attempts.
 
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Contact Luke Johnson at [email protected]