Another close game, and another crisis averted.
In the first half, it was LSU’s stage. The second half, though, was a different story.
But LSU finished with its 11th Southeastern Conference win of the season in a 80-71 victory against Missouri on Tuesday in the PMAC’s regular-season finale.
“Ability to lose focus, not as sharp,” said LSU coach Johnny Jones. “I think we were a victim to that.”
The first half played as a life-saver to LSU’s second half, and all parties had a part.
Senior guard Josh Gray received the nod from Jones to start the game in Tim Quarterman’s normal point guard role. Gray notched his only four points and two assists before Quarterman entered the game at 13:19.
Freshman guards Brandon Sampson and Antonio Blakeney commanded the LSU charge through the first 20 minutes. The two combined for 19 points on 50 percent shooting. Blakeney finished the first period a perfect 6-6 from the free-throw line.
Freshman forward Ben Simmons, in possibly his final game in the PMAC, finished the opening half with eight points of his own, seven rebounds and four assists.
After “One more year!” chants rained down from the student, Simmons reflected on how quickly the season had passed while not definitely indicating Tuesday’s game was his last in front of the Tiger faithful.
“It was kind of funny,” Simmons said jokingly. “We’ll see what happens.”
Jones had words toward Simmons’ likely departure as well.
“I’m hopeful he comes back,” Jones said. “I have to say, he’s exceeded my expectations.”
Simmons finished with 22 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists against Missouri. Tuesday was Simmons’ fifth-straight 20-point, or more, night in a row. 
Craig Victor equaled Simmons’ first-half mark with eight points of his own, and 10 in the game.
Victor finished the first half with zero fouls, which was an uncommon occurrence this season, as the players laughed at Victor’s answer after the game.
“It was a blessing,” Victor said. “I mean, it was such a blessing.”
Victor finished with four fouls, all of which he collected in the second half.
“Craig couldn’t keep his hands off of them in the second half,” Quarterman joked in response to LSU allowing 47 total second-half points to Missouri.
The first half saw a balanced offensive effort as all eight LSU players who appeared in the game scored, four of which had at least eight points.
Missouri went into halftime connecting on just 10-of-28 shots, including a 2-of-11 clip from 3-point territory.
Missouri responded to an early 7-0 LSU run by cutting the deficit to five points with 12:42 left in the period, but the home Tigers took firm control from there. Blakeney splashed a triple from the wing, starting a 12-2 run and giving LSU a 15-point lead prior to the under-eight minutes media timeout.
Following Blakeney’s 3-pointer, Missouri never got within single digits in the period as LSU outscored Missouri, 19-9, in the final seven minutes of the half. LSU went into halftime with its largest lead of the game of 22 points.
Missouri scored the first six points of the half and 12 of the first 16 points between both team, cutting the LSU advantage to 14 points on Namon Wright’s trey. But Victor followed with an up-and-under, and Blakeney finished a layup in transition on the next possession, extending the lead to 18 points.
Missouri got win 13 points twice before the second media timeout of the half, both on Cullen Vanleer buckets, but Quarterman drained his first of two three-pointers on the night, regaining a 16-point advantage with 11:30 left in the game. After Quarterman’s trey, though, trouble began to brew for LSU.
With LSU shooting just 6-of-16 up to that point, the road Tigers finally clawed within single digits, 63-54, on Ryan Rosburg’s layup with 7:48. But Missouri didn’t stop there as K.J .Walton sandwiched a pair of three-pointers around another basket from Rosburg, which close the gap to three points with 4:48. During Missouri’s rally, LSU didn’t score for a stretch of more than three and half minutes.
“In the first half, I thought [Missouri] was not able to get in a rhythm,” Jones said. “We were there on the catch. Defensively, we weren’t allowing them to square their shoulders and get good looks, be it passes or shots…In the second half, we probably weren’t as sharp, as quick, and doing those things. When teams get in a rhythm like that, it’s tough to stop them. They’re post guys stretched us out a couple and hit a couple threes out there, as well.”
However, LSU would let Missouri any closer than that as Blakeney buried a triple of his own before Jones called a 30-second timeout.
“It’s confidence for him,” Jones said. “He’s very confident in himself. His teammates are confident in him, as well. One of the things we talked about after the game is we probably did not get him enough touches for him during that stretch when they made their run.”
After a layup from Terrence Phillips, Quarterman canned a 3-pointer from the corner to give LSU a seven-point lead. Missouri stayed in striking distance down the stretch, but Simmons kept the Tigers afloat, knocking down all six of his free throw attempts in the final 2:32, leading LSU to its 18th win this season.