LSU men’s basketball head coach Matt McMahon took the stand on Tuesday night at the PMAC in a suit.
His team beat Charleston Southern 77-68 to improve to 4-0 for the first time in two years.
McMahon first donned the dapper look, tie and all, during the Tigers’ 95-60 opening night victory over Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 6 to honor a mentor he met during his seven-year head coaching career at Murray State.
“Are we going to get treated to this young Jay Wright look more of the season?” a reporter joked with McMahon.
“This tie right here, this means a lot to me,” McMahon explained as he began to grab at it with his left hand. “A mentor of mine, a great man, Larry Suiter in Murray, Kentucky, passed away 10 days ago, and he really impacted my life and my family’s life.”
Three days later, McMahon was below the student section at LSU football’s tilt against Alabama. Multiple students told McMahon they would wear a suit for Sunday’s showdown against Alabama State if he did the same.
The very next day, McMahon could be seen on the floor wearing a tuxedo in the Bayou Bengals’ come-from-behind 74-61 win against Alabama State.
“Today, we just kept it going,” McMahon said regarding Tuesday night’s gameday fit.
After the win, McMahon celebrated with the students, similar to what he did following the first two victories.
McMahon is doing everything he can to get purple and gold fans to buy into this team, including winning.
LSU was trailing at the half, 34-29, similar to the 32-26 deficit the Tigers faced at the midway mark of their comeback victory over Alabama State. But like its matchup with the Hornets, McMahon’s squad settled in, sealed up on defense and scored when it mattered most.
Vyctorius Miller did all he could to be victorious on Tuesday night versus Charleston Southern. The freshman’s aggressiveness helped him notch a team-high 19 points on 9-14 (64.3%) shooting on the night while consistently beating the Buccaneer defenders to the bucket. Miller spearheaded the Bayou Bengals’ 34 bench points, as his effort and play also inspired his teammates to go rim-running.
“First thing is it starts off in practice,” Miller said. “I feel like I be stacking great days in practice, and it only leads on to the court. My teammates built confidence in me out the gate, and they know what I can do.”
Jordan Sears’ sharp handles helped him find his shot all night. Whether it was a drive, mid-range or three-pointer, Sears shot 5-12 (41.6%) for 15 points in the victory.
With 12 minutes left, Charleston Southern was turned away with a Daimion Collins block. The ball began bouncing out of bounds until Sears flew into the frame to save the day, the ball and the two points on the other end of the court.
Somehow, Dji Bailey was there for it.
“I just kind of tried to make the hustle play, keep the ball in play and keep our momentum going in,” Sears said. “It was a great play, though. Great sequence and we needed it.”
Bailey continues to play the most impactful minutes on this basketball team. His efficient 5-6 (83.3%) shooting performance scored him 11 points.
With less than a half-minute remaining, Cam Carter got an emphatic steal and slam to seal the win with an exclamation point. The purple and gold narrowly escaped another second-half hole with the victory.
McMahon must continue to establish a winning culture during non-conference play. Once January arrives, SEC action won’t get easier.
But whether it’s the suit and tie or the postgame celebration, it doesn’t matter: LSU is undefeated.
The Tigers will look to stay undefeated at the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia when they play fellow unbeaten 5-0 Pittsburgh on Friday afternoon.
