In a gutsy performance with a cast of unsung heroes, LSU men’s basketball tallies an impressive 64-58 win on the road against Florida.

The circumstances of this game were very much not in LSU’s favor, as going into the game the Tigers were down their starting point guard, Xavier Pinson. Pinson was injured in LSU’s win against Tennessee, and his absence paved the way for sophomore point-guard Eric Gaines to get just his second start of the season. Gaines stepped up for Pinson in a big way, scoring a career high of 15 points, including multiple huge shots late in the game. After the game, Gaines talked about how Head Coach Will Wade helped him prepare for his new role.

“He just told me to stay disciplined, play my role and play the game,” Gaines said.

Discipline was a big point of emphasis from Wade going into the game, especially when losing a leader like Pinson. In LSU’s first true road game against Auburn, the team struggled in that regard, taking bad shots and committing costly turnovers, which was debilitating in a road environment. Those issues did not show up nearly as much in this game, which allowed LSU to come away with a win in another tough road environment.

Adversity was another theme for LSU in this game. With Pinson already out due to his injury, Tari Eason and Efton Reid both fouled out in the second half, causing LSU to play undermanned throughout the stretch. The foul trouble required other LSU players to step up, and one of those players was Shareef O’Neal. O’Neal had yet to make an appearance this season due to a foot injury, but did not seem rusty in his return. O’Neal scored four points and grabbed four rebounds in 13 minutes, and played a big role in slowing down Florida’s dominant big man, Colin Castleton. LSU’s depth truly showed tonight and helped the Tigers in a huge way down the stretch. Senior Forward Darius Days spoke about that depth and his confidence in the players coming off the bench.

“At this point for our team, it doesn’t matter who’s out, the next man will carry the load,” Days said. 

Days played an instrumental role as well for the Tigers as he chipped in with 20 points which helped LSU get going early. Days’ efficiency was the most impressive part of his performance as he shot 9-14 for the game and finished as +13 for the night. His defense was key as well, adding four steals and helping anchor an LSU defense that held Florida to just 58 points. Playing great defense goes a long way on the road, and Days echoed that point after the game.

“Defense wins games,” Days said. “That’s the main thing we preach on our team.”

Defense has been the biggest constant for this LSU team, even when circumstances are against them like they were in this game. Having players like Gaines and O’Neal step up on both ends of the court speaks not only to this team’s depth, but to its perseverance and resolve to win games despite facing adversity. 

“The tougher the circumstances, the more things are stacked against us, the better we’ll do,” Wade said.

This grit and perseverance has been on display for LSU all season, but this game might have been the best example of it in the season. Going on the road and winning in the SEC is already a tall order as it is, but doing it while missing multiple key players for long stretches takes full buy-in and grit from the entire team.