The LSU men’s basketball team had Ole Miss on the ropes Feb. 9 until what has come to plague the Tigers during the Southeastern Conference schedule — the final three minutes.
“We had the lead the whole game against Ole Miss until the last couple of minutes, which just kills me because that was our game,” said freshman guard Matt Derenbecker.
The Rebels outscored LSU in the final three minutes, 6-0, to take the game, 66-60.
LSU junior forward Storm Warren and freshman point guard Andre Stringer missed jump shots. Two other Tigers failed to connect on desperate 3-pointers as LSU blew an eight-point advantage from earlier in the second half.
“Having the ball with 30 seconds left in high school is totally different than having the ball with two minutes left in college,” Derenbecker said. “Coming here as freshmen, we’re not used to being in that situation where the eyes are all on us from a collegiate standpoint.”
LSU (10-15, 2-8) will host rival Alabama (16-9, 8-2) tonight at 8 p.m. in the PMAC, pitting the SEC West leader against a team near the bottom of the division.
Executing down the stretch has proven to be the difference between wins and losses in SEC play.
The Tigers have been limited to four or fewer points in the final three minutes in six out of their 10 conferences games, all of which resulted in defeats.
LSU scored eight points in the final three minutes of the first two Southeastern Conference games against Auburn and Arkansas, the team’s lone wins of the conference schedule.
“It’s going to take guys getting confidence and knocking down shots,” LSU coach Trent Johnson said in a teleconference.
“The more you are put in those situations, the more you will hopefully be able to break through. As hard as it is sometimes, you have to tip your hat to the opponent.”
The lack of production in the waning minutes proved costly against Ole Miss, South Carolina and Mississippi State. LSU had the lead in the second half against all three teams.
Johnson has repeatedly said his squad, which has returned to an all-freshman starting backcourt, makes mental mistakes in crucial situations.
“Have they struggled at times? Yes, but they’ve come back the next day in practice,” Johnson said.
Missed opportunities have fueled LSU’s losing streak, which currently sits at eight games.
Alabama doesn’t appear to be an easy target, already having annihilated LSU on Jan. 29, 70-46, with an effective press defense.
The Crimson Tide have rolled through their SEC competition under the leadership of second-year coach Anthony Grant.
“They have a nucleus of guys that are really good athletes that have been together and were part of [former coach] Mark Gottfried’s recruiting,” Johnson said. “Now they have really bought into Grant’s system.”
Thursday night’s game will be the first of two consecutive nationally televised games for the Tigers this week. Sunday’s noon tipoff against Florida will also be on ESPN.
“If we can go out there and play against Alabama and Florida tough and come out with wins … that can raise the fanbase and the support,” Derenbecker said. “It would be huge for us to get two wins on ESPN.”
 
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Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]