After a good performance in the season opener, the LSU Tigers (1-1) struggled down the stretch in Saturday’s 85-81 loss to Saint Louis University.
How It Happened:
The Tigers started out strong, going on a 6-0 run to start the contest, going up 11-6 before the first media timeout after a jumper by Trendon Watford. However, the Billikens responded after the timeout and managed to take a three-point lead with 10:46 after a second-chance layup by Demarius Jacobs.
LSU and Saint Louis exchanged the lead a couple times, but the Billikens put some space between their opponent before halftime, going on a 14-6 run in the final 5:55 of the first half to take a 38-28 lead into the locker room.
The Tigers tried to fight back to start the second half with a 6-0 run in the opening moments thanks to a three-point play by Trendon Watford and a three-pointer from Javonte Smart to make it a four-point contest. However, Saint Louis was able to keep Will Wade’s team at bay, taking a 12-point lead with 15:57 left after Gibson Jimerson hit a three-pointer off the fast break.
The Tigers kept fighting back in the final five minutes, getting within one point after freshman Cam Thomas hit a layup off of a turnover with 40 seconds left, but a foul on Javonte Perkins resulted in him nailing all three of his free throws to put the game out of reach.
Big Number: 30
When you look at the statistics of the game, it was extremely tight in a lot of the key numbers, but the one that stands out is the total rebounds. The Billikens outrebounded the Tigers 30-22, 23 of which were defensive boards.
Player of the Game: Javonte Perkins
Perkins was the big performer on Saturday, leading the way with 32 points and five assists. He was efficient from three-point range going 4-of-8 on the afternoon.
Next Up: Monday vs Southeastern; Tipoff at 7 pm