Welcome everyone to the latest edition of #3OT where I break down what went right and what went wrong for the LSU Tigers. Today, we look at the Tigers loss to Mississippi State.
1st OT: Poor Shooting From Field
If there’s one aspect of LSU’s game that needs to improve, it’s their shooting. Either that or they need to reduce the number of three point shots. They wound up only making nine of their 27 shots from beyond the arc. And somehow the shooting from inside was even worse as they went 20-of-45 on the afternoon. It’s scary because with most teams they’re inefficient from the three, but are good inside. This team is just not good when it comes to shooting the rock.
2nd OT: Poor Defensive Effort In Paint
Speaking of shooting in the paint, it seemed like LSU was outmatched defensively. They allowed 40 points from inside on the day. It was an underwhelming performance in all phases of the game and when you can’t defend the paint, you can’t win games that way. It’s a big reason why the Bulldogs were able to get five players in double figures and put up over 90 points on the road in SEC play for the first time since the 1960s.
3rd OT: Reath Bright Spot In Loss
One of the big points coming out of Mizzou is that Duop Reath needs to stay out of foul trouble. Apparently, that was a point of emphasis from Coach Johnny Jones as he was able to stay in for most of the game. Reath had a solid performance on Saturday with 19 points and 13 boards, leading the Tigers in both categories. If Reath can stay out of foul trouble and have games like this, I’d expect the Tigers to turn things around. They will also need a good coaching job from Jones as well.
-Clint Domingue