LSU received an early Christmas present Friday night when junior guard Brandon Sampson returned to the court in a dominant win against North Florida 104-52. The 52 point win was the first 50+ point win since Nov. 17, 2006 against Nicholls State.
Sampson played well in his first action since Nov. 21, connecting on his first two shots of the game. Sampson finished with seven points in his return while playing ten minutes.
Sampson said it felt great to get back in the swing of things on the court but said he’s about 90-95 percent on his ankle.
“It feels really good being back out there,” Sampson said. “As I got into the game, I moved better and I think I waited a good amount of time.”
“He’s going to be a great piece to have back,” freshman guard Tremont Waters said. “His shooting, highlight dunks and defense is what we missed.”
The Tigers’ offense looked the part once again on Friday. A 26-3 run in the middle of the first half blew the game wide open for LSU, taking a 54-23 lead into the half.
Over the past few games, LSU has had a same-day shootaround that both the players and coach Will Wade believes they will continue to do that same routine.
Defense has been a preaching point from Wade since day one. For the second straight game, the Tigers held a team under 60 points which had not been done all season.
Wade thought it was one of the more complete games the Tigers have played this season with defense being the key.
“I thought Sampson changed the energy of the game,” Wade said. “Our guys prepared well.”
LSU forced 20 turnovers, leading to 30 points off turnovers while allowing no points off their own eight turnovers.
Waters finished with his second double-double of his career, posting 15 points and 10 assists on the night.
The second half allowed the Tigers to empty their bench. A 21-5 run to open the half gave LSU a 77-31 giving Mayan Kiir and Marshall Graves some extended play time. Kiir finished with nine points while Graves chipped in seven more.
LSU now has six days rest to get ready for a road trip to Memphis on Dec. 28 with tip off set for 8 p.m.