South Carolina had LSU beat three minutes in. The Gamecocks were up by 28 with five minutes left in the first half.
LSU’s second-half comeback bid got them within six at one point, but the Tigers dropped the game 78-68. LSU moves to 0-2 in SEC play and 14-42 under head coach Matt McMahon against conference foes.
McMahon called a timeout with his Tigers down 10-0 after three minutes. South Carolina stayed hot and did not miss a shot for the first eight minutes of the game. They went up 28-10.
“We never made them uncomfortable in the first half,” McMahon said. “Their physicality really bothered us.”
Elijah Strong started the scoring spree, with 14 of South Carolina’s first 21 points. He came into the game only shooting 26% from deep, but made all 4 of his attempts. His team started 6-for-6 from 3-point range and ended with a 12-for-21 mark. Strong finished with a career high 30 points.
“His natural gifts are as an offensive guy, as a scorer,” South Carolina head coach Lamont Paris said. “He’s got a good feel for what to do and when [to do it] … It all came together for him on the same day.”
While the Gamecocks found an open man on the perimeter time and time again, LSU looked miserable on offense in the first half. The Tigers only had 16 points in the first 16 minutes of the game, but 3-pointers from PJ Carter and Mazi Mosley helped make a 50-25 halftime deficit slightly less sour.
South Carolina had the perimeter line locked down like Fort Knox. LSU was unable to find an open look deep, and every time someone tried to drive into the middle, they had to dump it out for the cycle to repeat itself.
“That first half was our best half of defense all season,” Paris said. “I don’t even know if one is close to that.”
Mike Nwoko had five offensive rebounds in the first half, but every time he wanted to go up for a layup, he was heavily contested and struggled to make it fall. He had an off night overall. The SEC field goal percentage leader only shot 2-for-9, but did have 13 rebounds.
Going into the break, South Carolina had made more 3-pointers than LSU had field goals overall.
Meechie Johnson and Strong were the main culprits for the visitors. Johnson led his team with 13.6 points per game entering Tuesday. He had 15 at the half, shooting 100% across the field and at the line. He finished with 19.
“As we came out into the second half, I told Meechie, ‘Hey, they’re definitely going to make a run, so let’s get ready when it happens, ’” Paris said.
A Freaky Friday-like switch swapped the team’s shot-making during the halftime break.
Carter, Mosley and Robert Miller III started on the court for the second half along with usual starters Pablo Tamba and Jalen Reece. It’s the second time that the lineup was moved around at halftime, and it helped bring LSU closer to victory.
“I think the guys that started the lineup in the second half came with great energy,” Tamba said. “I think that picked [up] our mind and that energy.”
Mosley is emerging as a strong freshman who LSU looks to when needing to get back into the game due to his ability to make 3-pointers. Carter, a fifth-year senior, is also strongest when behind the arc. The two scored 6 and 10, respectively.
LSU opened the second half on a 23-8 run. All second-half starters but Reece recorded at least one basket in the first few minutes.
The game’s starters soon returned and broke out of their slump, with Marquel Sutton putting a Gamecock on a poster with a dunk.
LSU was nearing striking distance when Max Mackinnon scored 10 straight for LSU and got the deficit to single digits. Strong and Johnson kept their strong play up and led their Gamecocks to get a strong enough handle on the lead.
“It kind of felt like we let go a little bit,” Tamba said.
The Tigers look to rebound on Saturday, as they have a tough battle against No. 11 Vanderbilt. Dedan Thomas Jr. has now missed both SEC games with a lower left leg injury, but did not have a boot on while on the bench Tuesday.
“He’s made tremendous progress,” McMahon said about Thomas. “I still think he has a little ways to go before he’s able to play basketball again.”
If McMahon wants to cool his seat, LSU has to win two of its next three, where it will face Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Missouri.
