As the clock winds down, jerseys become untucked. For some LSU players, it’s their last time playing basketball in college.
The Tigers entered the SEC tournament as a 15-seed out of 16 teams, hoping to create some madness to keep their season alive by defeating 10-seed Mississippi State.
It was a sour ending for LSU, as the game seemed over by halftime. The Tigers only scored 24 points while shooting 8-for-26 (30.8%) from the field and had nine turnovers.
Amid those 24 points in the first half, LSU went through a scoring drought like no other. The last field goal in the first half came from a Jordan Sears 3-pointer at the 10:04 mark. The Tigers failed to score from the field for the rest of the frame.
A few LSU free throws made it less of an eyesore, but the damage was already done.
Unfortunately, that has been a major part of the Tigers’ identity this season. They’ve gone through long scoring droughts every game that’s ruined their chances of winning.
The Bulldogs are also to credit for the stifled LSU offense. Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans made it a point of emphasis to strengthen their defensive effort, and the team did.
The hard-nosed Bulldog defense held the Tigers to shoot 22-for-56 (39.3%) from the field and 5-for-26 (19.2%) from downtown.
LSU guard Cam Carter wanted to make a statement against his former team but did not have the performance he wanted in what could potentially be his final collegiate game. The leading scorer for the Tigers this season finished the game with only 13 points while shooting 4-for-12 (33%) from the field and 2-for-7 (28.5) from the 3-point line. Carter also led the team in turnovers, coughing up the ball seven times.
The other side to LSU’s identity is that it’ll play hard until the clock ends.
Down by 20 coming out of halftime, the Tigers turned up their pressure and tried to make it a game. They forced turnovers, got better shots and even trimmed the lead to 11 with 15 minutes to play.
The catalyst of the fight and determination for the Tigers was Sears. The senior guard did everything he could to prevent his college career from ending in the conference tournament’s first round, as he finished the game with 20 points, four rebounds and five steals.
During a timeout, Sears was shown in the huddle saying, “There’s a lot of game left,” hoping to encourage his team to a late comeback, but that’s as close as it got for LSU.
While LSU did not simply put their tails between their legs and give up, it had no answers for Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs’ Josh Hubbard has shown the ability to explode for a scoring barrage at any given time, and he did that.
Hubbard finished the game with 26 points, scoring 16 in the first half. The talented sophomore went 9-for-19 (47.3%) from the field and 6-for-12 (50%) from the three-point line.
Mississippi State swiftly ended LSU’s season, 91-62.
The Tigers now look to prepare for next season and leave this disappointing season in the past.
