It wasn’t pretty in the last seven minutes as per usual for LSU this season, but the Tigers got the job done against an outclassed Georgia getting their fifth straight Southeastern Conference win 92-82.
Sophomore guard Tremont Waters led the way in scoring with 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting and 7-of-11 on free throws.
Junior guard Skylar Mays tied his season high in scoring with 20 points going 5-of-9 from the field. Freshman forward Naz Reid added 15 points and seven rebounds along with three blocks and two steals.
Sophomore Rayshaun Hammonds was the top scorer for the Bulldogs with 18 points and three rebounds. Sophomore Nicolas Claxton added 15 points and nine rebounds.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead in the first two minutes off of two threes from Hammonds and Claxton. Claxton has averaged 3.12 blocks per game, but tonight he was stroking three’s going 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
“Give Georgia credit, they played really well. They played with a good spirit,” said LSU coach Will Wade. “They hit some threes early on. They were ready.”
The Tigers stemmed the Bulldogs quick start and took a 13-10 lead with 15 minutes left to play in the first half. Freshman forward Emmitt Williams played well after entering the game following a Kavell Bigby-Williams injury within the first minute of the game. Williams had 4 points and 3 rebounds in the first five minutes of the game.
After the 15-minute mark, the Tigers went on a 13-0 run to stretch their lead to nine, capping the run with an amazing alley-oop from Waters to junior guard Marlon Taylor.
After getting poked in the eye, Mays came back into the game at the eight minute mark intent on scoring, hitting two 3’s in a row, and later on a fast break going up for a Jordan-esque fake dunk to finger roll.
“It was just taking shots I’m comfortable with,” Mays said. “That is part of my game and I have great teammates who give me great looks and I was able to knock them down tonight.”
Georgia kept the lead within nine though, not letting the Tigers get out to a double-digit lead, until the two and a half minute mark when LSU went on another run, this time an 8-0 run to make the score 46-32 with 1:45 left in the first half.
The Tigers would go into halftime with a 48-36 lead, and the momentum behind them leading into the second half.
But Georgia wouldn’t go away, starting the second half with a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 7. Another run by the Tigers, this time an 11-2 margin, made the deficit 17, with 13:07 to go in the 2nd half.
But LSU’s late game woes came back at around the 10 minute mark, as the Bulldogs pounded the ball in the paint going on a 10-2 run with all layups and dunks to bring them within 8. But Georgia couldn’t make shots from the perimeter, only going 3-7 from 3 in the second half, and LSU were able to hold on for a 10-point win.
“We all knew it was not our best game,” Waters said. “Going into the game, things were a little shaky. We just didn’t understand the vibe with the team, but a good team win in the end.”
The Tigers will travel to Mizzou Arena to take on the Missouri Tigers (10-6, 1-3 SEC) on Jan. 26 at 5 p.m.