A determined defense against North Florida Friday night in the PMAC led the LSU men’s basketball team to their third consecutive win.

The LSU defensive success was apparent from the beginning as the team had seven blocks and 20 defensive rebounds in the first half.

“The pressure, flying around, contested threes, and we limited the second shot opportunities in the first 25 to 27 minutes,” said Head Coach Matt McMahon.

The grit and determination from the defense did not stop there as they went on to finish the game with ten steals and 14 turnovers.

“We have been preaching urgency on defensive ball pressure, if we are going to switch and be aggressive, we need to have consistent ball pressure,” said Guard Jordan Wright.

“It is something coach preaches to us, it is something we’ve been getting better at as we progressed through the Charleston tournament, and today you saw how destructive we can be,” said Wright.

Meanwhile, Guard Jordan Wright handled business for the offense as he capped the night off with 15 points including two consecutive three point shots early in the second half bringing the Tigers out of their three point drought.

“The first one was a great screen from Will [Baker], then the second one, he made a good extra pass for the corner three,” said Wright. “I have been working on my jump shot every day, so just having faith in it, having confidence, stepping up and making shots.”

Despite the stat lines, what ultimately helped secure the 75-63 win was the teams willingness to lock in and play with passion.

“I thought we played incredibly hard in Charleston, I thought we were very connected,” said Coach McMahon. “I thought the first 27 to 28 minutes tonight, guys really competed at a high level and played together as one on the defensive side of the ball.

The team moves to 4-2 on the season, and will look to continue their winning streak Tuesday when they go on the road to take on Syracuse.