A small, but boisterous crowd of 4,170 people watched LSU(14-8) dismantle Vanderbilt University (10-11) 79-60.
LSU went on a 27-0 run in the first half lead by senior guard Collis Temple III. He made five straight 3-pointers shooting 6-of-7 from the field in the first half. Vanderbilt never recovered, getting no closer than 12 points.
Going into the half, LSU was shooting 80 percent from behind the 3-point line as they possessed a 23 point lead. They finished the game shooting better than 66 percent.
Vanderbilt outscored LSU 39-35 in the second half, pulling within 12 with 3:17 left to play, but by game’s end the Tigers extended the lead back to 19.
“I knew we had a big lead on them, but we could easily lose that lead,” said senior guard Torris Bright. “So we had to stay focused.”
LSU had four players scoring in double figures: Dupree, Bright, Temple and Hudson. Junior forward Jaime Lloreda also scored nine points, leading the team in rebounds with 10, while Dupree pulled down nine.
Sophomore Guard Xavier Whipple started the game but only played 13 minutes shooting 0-1 from the field.
Coach Brady pointed out Bright’s performance as a reason behind the team’s success, saying when he scores 17 points, they usually win.
“That doesn’t work all the time,” Bright said referring to the Arkansas game. “But the statement is mostly true.”
Temple gave credit to focus and rest for his performance. Only playing nine minutes against Auburn and coming off a stomach virus, every minute he played was of importance.
“I went out with a little more control because I was trying to conserve my energy,” Temple said.
In the past three games, the Tiger defense held their opponents from scoring more than 60. Tonight the Commodores only shot 37.7 percent from the field, and nearly half of those points came from junior forward Matt Freije, who scored 27.
“Freije was just on fire,” Dupree said. “I would contest his shots, and he would throw them up and sink them.”
If not for Freije, Vanderbilt would only have scored 33 points.
Defense led to offensive opportunities for the Tiger offense. Opportunities turned into points because LSU shot 58.6 percent from the floor.
“When we’re shooting that well, it’s hard to beat us,” Dupree said.
LSU will travel to face third-ranked Kentucky in Lexington on Saturday.