The LSU men’s basketball team may need to watch Al Pacino’s speech from “Any Given Sunday.”
The Tigers have struggled mightily coming out of the halftime break this season. LSU has outscored opponents by 44 points in the first half this season but has been outscored by 74 points in the second half.
The disparity is even greater in Southeastern Conference games. LSU hasn’t scored more second-half points than an SEC opponent all season.
Opponents have outscored LSU by 18 total points in the first half of SEC games and a massive 83 points in the second half.
Take away a 38-point loss to Kentucky, and the Tigers have actually outscored opponents by 11 in the first half. But opponents still outscore LSU by 74 points after halftime.
The second-half struggles began immediately in SEC play.
The Tigers came out blazing in their SEC opener following back-to-back losses, taking a 32-6 lead into halftime against Auburn. But LSU won by only seven points after Auburn outscored the Bayou Bengals by 19 in the second half.
LSU once again started hot against Arkansas, going into the half with a 31-17 advantage before sizzling down in the second frame. The Tigers held off a resilient Razorback team by only three points, 56-53.
“Right now the main emphasis for us is getting our competitive edge to where you can sustain something against somebody that’s good for a consistent period of time,” LSU coach Trent Johnson said on Jan. 24.
LSU is in the midst of a four-game losing streak following its two opening conference wins, beginning with a 78-51 loss to Ole Miss at home.
The Tigers were in a tight contest with Ole Miss, down six points at the half. But the Rebels dominated the remainder of the game, scoring 40 second-half points to the Tigers’ 19.
“That was disappointing for a lot of reasons,” Johnson said. “We were 38-32 at the half, and ultimately what happened in the second half, it was about, ‘Are you working hard? Were you making the extra step?'”
The storyline was the same against Alabama, as the Tigers trailed by only seven points at the break but lost by 24 points.
“We were playing against the same guys we did in the first half,” Johnson said in a news release. “Just the second half, they came out and wanted it a little more than we did and we broke down our execution.”
Johnson said he wants to see more aggression from his team for an entire game.
“It is unacceptable,” Johnson said after the Ole Miss loss. “We’re not talking about winning or losing. We’re talking about competing.”
LSU’s inconsistent second halves have almost cost the Tigers every SEC game this season.
One reason for the lackluster endings could be a tired group of young Tigers, which includes four freshmen and no seniors.
LSU has had a senior on the roster of every previous team since the 1989-90 season.
Follow Rowan Kavner on Twitter @TDR_Kavner.
 
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Contact Rowan Kavner at [email protected]