In Texas Southern’s 11th of 16-straight road games, LSU (7-2) skated away from a scrappy, undersized Texas Southern (4-7) team with an 88-80 crunch-time win.

Through the opening 8:12 of the second half, Texas Southern didn’t commit a single turnover, closing LSU’s 10-point halftime lead of 44-34 to one point, 57-56, before a free throw matched the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s Houston-based team to a tie with LSU for a short period of time.

“Unfortunately for us, we get a 10-point lead, and instead of us really staying true to form on the defensive end of the floor,” said LSU coach Johnny Jones. “I thought we allowed them to dictate and make plays there in the second half, especially.”

“We started to settle,” the coach added. “Good thing is, they figured out a way to win. They made plays down the stretch, made free throws, and made a couple of stops late and that was the difference in the game.”

Texas Southern matched its first-half point total of 34 with 7:07 remaining in the second period. LSU held Texas Southern to one made field goal in the final five minutes of Saturday’s win. Texas Southern connected on only three field goals through the final 8:12 of the second half.

Although its surge late in the final half appeared troublesome, LSU evaded its third loss this season as Texas Southern would only lead the game for 4 minutes and 33 seconds of Saturday’s eight point win.

LSU knew it had to fix its defense, its players said.

“It started with the guards,” said sophomore guard Antonio Blakeney. “They were trying to drive us. They were getting to the paint, making the bigs help, kicking out, stuff like that. We’ve got to contain dribble penetration better.”
With a workmanlike effort, Duop Reath sparked LSU’s second-half rally, knocking in 19 of LSU’s 44 second-half points en route to 21 total on 14 shot attempts.

“I had to help my team push through for the win,” he said. “Coaches, players got onto me, so they told me to push through and stay focused and not to worry about the first half.”

At halftime, Jones challenged the transfer forward from Lee College to play better, score more and for LSU’s wings to continue to feed LSU’s 6-foot-10 interior man.

“We knew he had more to offer us with his ability to go out and play with quickness,” Jones said. “In the second half, the guys gave him touches and he was able to deliver for us.”

Reath drained his final four shot attempts as LSU skated away from its first loss to a SWAC opponent when LSU lost to Jackson State in the 1995-96 season.

“He made shots,” Jones said. “His numbers show that any time he’s isolated in the post area, our guys need to try to get him the ball.”

Blakeney, who posted 16 points, kick-started LSU’s brief sharpshooting in the opening minutes of the first half with three 3-pointers. LSU swished five consecutive threes to Saturday’s game then finished by making three of its last 12 attempts long-range attempts.

Aiding Blakeney behind the 3-point line was freshman Kieran Hayward, who popped in eight points Saturday.

“He helped us a lot,” Blakeney said. “He came in and changed the game a little bit … He went out there and showed us how we’re supposed to play, that’s why he hit shots and stuff like that. He played real well.”

LSU shot 52 percent from the field as a team in the first half and 47.1 percent from three on 8 of 17 makes.

NOTES

• Up next: LSU vs. Charleston: 7 p.m. tipoff on Monday in the PMAC. LSU lost 58-70 at Charleston last season, which it apparently hasn’t forgotten, either … “They got us bad last year,” Blakeney said. “It’s a new team. They have a new team.”

• Branden Jenkins, a Lee College transfer guard beside Reath who had knee surgery prior to the season to repair a torn meniscus, dressed out for Saturday’s game but did not play. Jones said he expects Jenkins, who has been practicing at full speed this week, to play Monday versus Charleston.

• Here’s what Jones said after regarding Jenkins’ health after Saturday’s win: “I was hoping at some point today that we would’ve had a possible opportunity to put him in. He’s done a great job practicing with us and giving us some positive minutes on the floor. I want to try to start working him into some games. We’re hopeful, maybe Monday, we’re able to get him out on the floor. He’s getting extremely close. So close today that we did dress him, and hoping to have an opportunity to get him in.”

You can follow Christian Boutwell, @CBoutwell_