In a back-and-forth finish, LSU men’s basketball weathered the storm to sink New Orleans 86-70.
Here are three takeaways from the matinee matchup:

LSU’s slow starts

After opening the game with their best 20 minutes of basketball of the season against Stetson on Tuesday night, the Tigers followed it up with one of their worst first halves of the season.
On Tuesday, LSU shot 16-32 (50%) from the field and 6-15 (40%) from three with only four turnovers to go to the locker room with a 47-10 halftime lead.
But on Sunday against the Privateers, the Tigers only shot 13-32 (40.6%) from the field, 2-16 (12.5%) from behind the arc and more than doubled their turnovers from Tuesday with nine. New Orleans went on an 11-0 run to take an early 12-4 lead on LSU.
Even with all that, the purple and gold took a one-point, 30-29 advantage into halftime, something the team should obviously be able to do against a group like the Privateers, the 346th team in the pecking order of the 364-team KenPom rankings.
LSU is the second-to-last SEC squad in the KenPom rankings, coming in at 60, while South Carolina rounds out the rear at 65. As conference play nears, the Tigers can’t afford to start sluggish if they want to compete with the best of the best of the SEC.

Dji Bailey offers Tigers a different dimension

In a fast-paced yet low-scoring first half, New Orleans played their trademark Southland Conference style of basketball: moving fast and shooting 3-pointers. This speed is similar to how the Bayou Bengals have overwhelmed teams like the Privateers, but neither could capitalize on their shot opportunities.
But throughout the first half, there was a constant presence: Dji Bailey. The freshman’s constant hustle play made him one of LSU’s most reliable first-half options as the Tigers offense hit a rough patch. Once the offense started rolling, Bailey pulled back on the shot attempts and was even more efficient. He finished the day shooting 5-12 (41.7%) from the field with seven rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Bailey’s not an efficient volume shooter and doesn’t need to be. He’s on this team to get rebounds, block shots, poke at the ball on defense and score second-chance points. If LSU can keep his shot attempts to a minimum, Bailey will continue to be one of the most efficient scorers in the SEC, going into conference play and majorly impacting the game every time he steps onto the floor.

Vyctorius Miller might be the No. 1 option

On the road against Kansas State, Vyctorius Miller shot 6-9 (66.7%) from the field and 2-4 (50%) from downtown to notch 15 points in the Tigers’ upset win over the Wildcats.
Since that fateful night in Manhattan, Miller has scored double digits in seven of his last nine games. Against New Orleans, Miller kept it going, shooting 6-10 (60%) from the field, 3-6 from 3-point land and 2-2 (100%) from the charity stripe with five rebounds and two assists.
With the freshman’s consistency, Miller has established himself as one of if not the top option for this LSU offense.
The Tigers will host Mississippi Valley State next Sunday night, looking to close out non-conference play with a win.