In a game where LSU desperately needed a win, its offensive ineptitude continued to crush its tournament chances. It rarely found its footing, as Auburn handed it its fifth straight loss by a final score of 67-49.  

The theme of the first half for the Tigers was poor shooting, with them being unable to find the bottom of the net. They finished the period shooting 26% from the field and 18% from the field and experienced a nearly six-minute field goal drought towards the end of the period. 

The Tigers went into the break sporting just 21 points and an 11-point deficit, which would be difficult to fight out of if they couldn’t convert offensively. 

Though the Tigers managed to come out shooting much better to start the second half, leading to a brief resurgence of crowd noise, it wouldn’t last. After cutting their deficit to two, they allowed Auburn to go on a 20–7 run through the next five minutes of play, erasing all the progress they made. LSU would not make another run, as Auburn kept it out of reach for the rest of the game.  

KJ Williams and Trae Hannibal led the way in scoring with 16 points each. Williams also led the team in rebounds with eight and added two blocks and steals. The Tigers did improve their shooting percentages through the second half, but still ultimately finished the game shooting under 30% from the field. 

LSU will host its second straight game on Saturday, facing off against one of the top teams in the conference in No. 9 Tennessee at 3 p.m.