It has been 40 days since the LSU men’s basketball team lost a game, but the Tigers will try to fight off defeat one last time before Southeastern Conference play kicks off.
In its last tune-up before the start of SEC competition, LSU (10-2) will look to extend its seven-game winning streak and enter conference play on a high note when it hosts Savannah State (3-9) at 6 p.m. tonight in the PMAC.
This is the first-ever meeting between the two schools, but the two Tiger squads are entering Saturday’s contest riding different waves of momentum.
Savannah State has lost four in a row and seven of its last eight, with the only victory coming against lowly Middle Georgia. During its four-game losing skid, Savannah State has been outscored 313-208, or 26.2 points per game.
After an alarming 3-2 start keyed by losses to Old Dominion and Clemson, the newly-assembled LSU club has found its groove.
LSU has won seven consecutive games, the longest streak of third-year coach Johnny Jones’ tenure, for the first time since the 2011-12 season. During the stretch, the purple and gold have outscored opponents by 13.7 points a night while shooting 48.6 percent from the field.
LSU junior guard Josh Gray, who returned to the lineup against Southern Miss on Monday after missing two games with an ankle injury, isn’t surprised by the team’s recent surge.
“If you saw our practices and how competitive we go against each other, it’ll all make sense,” Gray said. “Our practices are unbelievable. We almost have fights everyday in practice because we compete so hard. Like I said earlier in the year, we’re going to be a great team toward the end of the year because we compete so hard.”
But with the SEC-opener at Missouri on Thursday steadily approaching, Saturday’s contest against an overmatched Savannah State program — which has gone 16-28 since the start of last season — could have the makings of a trap game.
Gray, however, doesn’t predict a letdown in his team’s future.
“We’re going to stick with the game plan, and we’re going to go out there and play hard and play for each other and play unselfish,” Gray said.
LSU’s unselfish play has resulted in an evenly-dispersed and unmatched scoring output this season.
LSU tops the SEC with five players averaging in double figures. Sophomore forward Jarell Martin’s team-leading 17.5 points per game ranks first in the conference, and fellow sophomore forward Jordan Mickey is second for LSU with 15.6 points an outing.
Junior guard Keith Hornsby (13.3), sophomore guard Tim Quarterman (11.0) and Gray (10.6) round out LSU’s double-digit scorers.
On the other hand, Savannah State doesn’t boast a single double-figure scorer, with sophomore guard Alante Fenner the closest at 9.7 points per game.
LSU’s scoring recent proficiency is a far cry from where the club started this season, particularly from deep, and it could spell doom for visiting Savannah State.
In its first five games, LSU shot a paltry 24 percent from 3-point range while connecting on at least five 3-pointers only twice. But LSU has found the range during its current winning streak, making at least five treys in every game while shooting a blistering 41 percent from beyond the arc.
Hornsby, who’s drained 11 of his last 21 3-point attempts, said it was only a matter of time before LSU’s shooters started finding their touch.
“Just from shooting drills and practices, we have a bunch of shooting threats from the perimeter, but it’s different shooting in the games,” Hornsby said. “Some of the initial challenges for us was getting comfortable playing in our arena and the game environment. Sometimes shooting is all about being comfortable.”
Things likely won’t remain comfortable for long with the start of SEC play coming up. But after experiencing a few early hiccups while establishing the new roster’s on-court chemistry at the start of the season, Quarterman said LSU is primed to carry its recent ascent past Savannah State and into the conference schedule.
“There were a lot of new faces around here, so we had to gel together quick,” Quarterman said. “It’s been getting better everyday, and it’s been showing out there on the court.”