Craig Victor II loves being a warrior.
As a man on a mission, the LSU sophomore forward prides himself on his defense Saturday, specifically. His matchup against then-No. 15 Texas A&M was against a former high school foe, the Aggies starting center Tyler Davis.
Davis knocked in a season-high 18 points against Victor in the Aggies 71-57 blowout versus LSU on Jan. 19. Victor made it his quest on Saturday to not let Davis repeat his success.
“I was on a mission from the jump,” Victor said. “[Tyler] Davis came in the first game and had a good game. I took this one personal. I put it on my load to stop him.”
Victor prevailed, and the Tigers (16-9, 9-3 Southeastern Conference) were along for the ride as they defeated Texas A&M (18-7, 7-5 SEC), 76-71, on Saturday — remaining in a tie for the top seed in the SEC alongside Kentucky.
“I love to play defense,” Victor said. “I’m a defensive warrior.”
Victor harassed Davis throughout the second half, limiting him to only nine points and forcing five turnovers through 40 minutes. Victor’s presence was felt as all three of his defensive matchups as Texas A&M’s centers combined for 14 points.
“Craig Victor did what he wanted to,” said Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy.
In response to Kennedy, with a smile on his face, Victor was humbled.
“I don’t know. You can tell him thank you, though,” Victor said. “I was focused, locked-in, playing hard and just wanting it. Just going out there and wanting [to win].”
Victor was benched in the first half after receiving his second foul at the 14:50 mark in an attempt to gain a favorable defensive position against Davis.
Without him on the court, LSU was stranded.
“That changed the complexity of the game,” said LSU coach Johnny Jones. “They went on a run after that.”
The Aggies went on a 31-19 run to close out the first half, then Victor was back.
With Victor on the floor, LSU went on a 57-40 run through both halves. Victor played all 20 minutes of the second half and finished with 16 points and four rebounds. Senior guard Keith Hornsby said LSU is a different team without Victor on the court,
“We feel the effects,” Hornsby said. “The guys who are called upon don’t play many minutes regularly. It’s hard to jump into action and be effective, immediately.”
After the game, both Victor and Hornsby commended junior forward Brian Bridgewater and sophomore forward Aaron Epps for filling Victor’s absence amid the foul trouble.
But Victor makes LSU a stronger, more physical and talented team when on the floor, Jones said.
“He’s a force for us,” Jones said.
A winning force, he continued.
“Winning is important to him,” Jones said. “He’s a pleaser. He doesn’t want to let his teammates down. He wants to be in the position to really impact and affect the team.”
Similarly as he began his post-game press conference saying he loves playing defense, Victor walked away sending love to members of the media present.
“Y’all have a Happy Valentines Day, now,” he said walking away from the podium.

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Anjana Nair

Craig Victor II, 32, looks at the referee after a foul on Texas A&M during the 76-71 LSU victory against Texas A&M on Saturday, February 13, 2016 in the PMAC.