Wednesday night was the first test since the late November trek to Maui for LSU (6-2). It’s safe to say that they passed that test against the Houston Cougars (8-2) with some solid rebounding in the second half en route to an 80-77 win.
After an early back and forth, the Tigers pulled out in front with a 13-2 run to take an early 19-11 lead. However, the Cougars pulled back into the ballgame and took a 38-37 lead into the locker room after Aaron Epps made a pair of free throws late.
The second half saw the lead change six times before the first media timeout and the Cougars got out to a four point lead with 15:58 left in regulation. However, LSU controlled the rest of the game by attacking the boards, outrebounding Houston 22-13. Freshman Tremont Waters added another big play to his highlight reel with an incredible block on Corey Davis with six seconds left to seal the victory for the Tigers.
LSU will return to action on Saturday when they host Stephen F. Austin (9-1) with tipoff set for 12 pm.
-Clint Domingue