LSU men’s basketball played the same song on a different day as it overcame a slow defensive start to power through Southeastern Louisiana 78-65.
Despite the Lions opening up the scoring, the Tigers cracked down defensively and leaned on their strengths: scoring points, creating momentum swings and making shots at the free-throw line.
Earlier in the season, head coach Matt McMahon stressed the importance of the free throw line, especially when the Tigers are struggling in other aspects of the game.
“[McMahon] expects us to get to the line that much,” Dedan Thomas Jr. said. “That’s actually what’s on the board pre-game. He wants us to make more free throws than the other teams attempted. So we just gotta keep pushing the ball in transition and getting to the basket, getting fouls, just staying aggressive.”
In their Friday night victory, center Mike Nwoko led the purple and gold at the free-throw line, going 6-for-7.
Marquel Sutton led the overall scoring for LSU in this in-state rivalry with 19 points, which is five points above his season average.
Sutton was one of the most consistent players from the field, going 7-for-9 on Friday night. He’s had several double-doubles so far this season, and ended the game just one rebound short of another.
Sutton also had several three-point shots on the night, which accounted for nine of his 19 points. He said he credits his performance to putting in the work outside of the time with the team.
“It’s just getting the reps after practice, before practice,” Sutton said. “You know, we do it every day, all the way, everybody you know, shoot on their own.”
Along with the attempts at the free-throw line, the game was also a scrappy contest between these big cats of South Louisiana. Several shoulder checks and handsy altercations came into play early and often.
Before the first half was over, both teams had the ball stolen out of their hands while dribbling down the court. This scrappiness could be a difference maker for the Tigers later in the season as they enter SEC play in just a few weeks.
Nwoko has shown the aggressive game as his forte throughout this season, but the Lions forced the rest of the team to play more aggressively on Friday night. Getting the few blunders out of the way during the non-conference portion of the season could be critical for the latter half of the season that’s rapidly approaching.
As SEC play draws near, LSU’s emphasis on physicality will help in the long run, especially if the defense struggles continue like they have so far this season.
Additionally, Nwoko said after the game that the team wasn’t satisfied with the win and that the guys were hungry for more.
“A big emphasis is definitely just having urgency,” Nwoko said. “You know, about everything that we do, going by our motto, our motto is brotherhood. Consistency is being all those three things, and that’s our culture, DNA.”
This early-season in-state matchup showcased what the Bayou Bengals have displayed all season: strong offense and critical success on the free-throw line.
LSU’s non-conference schedule has featured multiple games coming down to the wire, laying the foundation for the team to build on what is and what is not working before SEC play opens in January.
With just two games before SEC play kicks off, the Tigers look to tally another victory as they take on Prairie View on Monday, Dec. 22, at 6 p.m. in the PMAC.
