Basketball fundamentals are important, a lot more important than most people think.
Amazingly enough, behind the slam dunks, long three pointers and
razzle-dazzles, the team that executes fundamentals of the game the best
usually wins.
The same can be said for LSU’s loss at Mississippi State Saturday night, where the Tigers were thoroughly outshot, outhustled, outrebounded and overall outplayed in their 84-61 loss to the Bulldogs.
“[Mississippi State] looked quicker than we were,” said LSU coach John Brady in The Advocate. “They looked more athletic than we were. Then if you don’t do the fundamental things that are necessary, you have no chance against a team like that.”
Significantly, State outrebounded LSU 38-24, and outshot the Tigers 62.7 percent to 39.3 percent over the course of the game, which left Brady scratching his head.
“We hadn’t been outrebounded like that I don’t think since I’ve coached anywhere,” Brady said. “I got Brad Bridgewater, who’s 6-8, 250, and he doesn’t get a rebound in 23 minutes of play? C’mon. You gotta do better than that against that type of team.”
With the Tigers trailing 38-32 at halftime, State (16-4, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) manhandled LSU (12-7, 2-4) in the second half 46-29, in large part to a disastrous 10-of-30 in field goals.
“In the second half, we got beat in every phase of the game,” Brady said. “We got punished on the board. They beat us down the floor. The last 20 minutes, we just got pushed around.”
With all the attention on MSU center Mario Austin, backup guard Ontario Harper, who averages 4.3 points per game, burned LSU for 16 points.
Harper drained all four of his three-point attempts, while shooting 6 of-7 from the floor.
Austin, who sat out much of the first half because of foul trouble,
finished with 12 points and six rebounds.
Torris Bright led LSU with 21 points, including five three-pointers. Ronald Dupree shot 7-of-13 for 18 points.
State’s bench outscored and outrebounded LSU’s 35-6 and 13-3, respectively.
“I was disappointed a couple of our guys didn’t play like they were needed to for us to have a chance,” Brady said. “Our teams in the past have been good defensively and rebounded efficiently. We just got beat up around the goal and couldn’t stop them. We didn’t get back down the floor and get in transition defense.”
Collis Temple III, who has been slowed by a torn tendon in his right ankle, played 26 minutes but was ineffective shooting 1-of-6 and only scoring two points.
With the loss, LSU fell to 1-5 on the road this season, while MSU remained undefeated at home.
LSU returns to action Wednedsay night when it hosts Tennessee at the PMAC.