ACC newcomer SMU topped the SEC’s LSU Tiger 74-64 in the Compete 4 Cause Classic at the Comercia Center in Frisco, Texas.

Here are three takeaways from the defeat:

When in doubt, Sears is the out

Jordan Sears put LSU on his back throughout this game.

His 5-8 (62.5%) shooting from the field, 12 points and two steals in the first half led the Tigers to a six-point, 33-27 halftime advantage. He continued as LSU’s No. 1 offensive option throughout the second half and finished the night as the Tigers’ leading scorer (21), shooting 7-13 (53.8%) from the field and having four steals.

The only issue is that most times, Sears felt like the only one doing any scoring.

Second half scoring droughts suffocate the Tigers

Through its first nine games of the 2024 season, LSU has had a habit of offensive scoring droughts that tend to draw on for several minutes.

In the past, the Tigers have navigated these droughts with tough, physical defense to keep games close and competitive. But that didn’t happen on Saturday afternoon.

After trailing at halftime by 6, 33-27, the Mustangs went on a 26-8 run and shot 60% in the second half to leave LSU in the dust.

The Tigers only had two consistent scorers throughout the day: Sears and Dji Bailey. Bailey shot 4-7 (57.1%) for 13 points, including two threes to continue his hot start behind the arc this season.

Cam Carter, the only other Bayou Bengal who finished in double figures with 11, shot a less-than-stellar 3-11 (27.3%) from the field.

The lack of other offensive options limited LSU’s spacing and scoring. Against a top-20 offense in the country in SMU, the Tigers can’t afford to go several minutes without a single point. Scoring and keeping pace is the only way they’ll top opponents like the Mustangs.

Jalen Reed’s injury will heavily affect LSU going forward

Jalen Reed’s injury might be more impactful than first anticipated.

Against lesser competition in the form of Florida Gulf Coast, the purple and gold out-flew the Eagles on the boards, 36-30, while outscoring them 40-26 in the paint.

However, the script flipped against a nationally competitive program in the form of SMU. On Saturday, the Mustangs dominated under the basket, out-rebounding the Tigers 41-31 and outscoring them in the paint 42-26.

The combined efforts of Daimion Collins, Corey Chest and Robert Miller III were insufficient to deal with 7-foot-2 Samet Yigitoglu and 6-foot-7 Matt Cross. The supersized duo finished the game with 28 points on an efficient 10-20 (50%) from the field, 20 rebounds and three blocks compared to LSU’s trio’s 17 points on 8-18 shooting, 17 rebounds and three blocks.

LSU head coach Matt McMahon and the rest of his staff are anticipating to soon add 7-foot, 245-pound junior Noah Boyle, who recently returned from injury. Adding size in the form of Boyde to this fast-paced lineup could be what McMahon needs to unlock the potential of his offense.

But Boyde’s return to being an impact player is still most likely a while away as he works to get reincorporated with the team. Until then, the Tigers will have to survive without the size.

LSU will look to bounce back when it returns home to Baton Rouge on Tuesday night to host Stetson.