Usually, coaches stress playing a complete 40 minutes of basketball.
However, it seemed as though LSU (12-5, 1-4 Southeastern Conference) just played the 40th minute in its 67-64 loss to Mississippi State (12-4, 2-3 SEC) Saturday in Starkville, Miss.
The Tigers went on an 11-2 run in the last 45 seconds of the game that nearly pulled off an unbelievable comeback after being down 65-63 with 55 seconds left. Throughout the second half, LSU trailed by double digits a majority of the time.
A layup by Jaime Lloreda, followed by a trio of 3-pointers by Darrel Mitchell, Torris Bright and Ronald Dupree in the last minute were nearly enough to put the Tigers in the win column for the first time in three games.
Bright took what was supposed to be the finishing touch to the comeback with 3.4 seconds left to send the game into overtime, but his 3-point shot bounced off of the right side of the backboard while he was guarded by two MSU players.
Extreme physical play marred the game. The football-like physicality, which included only eight fouls called in the first 19 minutes of the second half, displeased LSU head coach John Brady.
“I am just sore from watching that game,” Brady said. “It was very physical out there today and it is just amazing. I used to worry about who was calling the game but there is nothing you can do about that. But we lost the game and Mississippi State won the game.”
The Tigers were led by Dupree, who scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds, but was charged with a technical foul that cost LSU two points in the first half. Sophomore Antonio Hudson added 12 points, and Mitchell and Bright each had 10.
MSU All-SEC center Mario Austin held Lloreda, who scored 19 points in LSU’s 85-72 victory on Jan. 3 over the Bulldogs, to just eight points.
However, Austin was held in check also, scoring eight points on 2-of-6 shooting. But Michal Ignerski and Timmy Bowers picked up the slack, scoring 15 and 14 points, respectively.
The Tigers’ much maligned defense put forth one of their best defensive efforts of the SEC slate, holding MSU to 47 percent shooting from the field. They also forced 18 turnovers.
“Our half-court defense was quite good, I thought,” Brady said. “But we gave them some run outs on turnovers and on some putbacks on misses.”
The win relieved MSU head coach Rick Stansbury, and it was the Bulldogs’ second in a row in the SEC after starting 0-3 in conference.
“We’re happy we got the win,” Stansbury said. “We’re not happy with the way we played the last minute of the game.”
The Tigers will return to action Tuesday in the PMAC, when they face Florida in a nationally-televised game on ESPN at 8 p.m.