After spending some time away from the PMAC, the LSU Tigers (9-3) were looking to make a statement when they hosted the 24th-ranked Furman Paladins (12-1). It’s safe to say that a statement was indeed made on Friday night with a 75-57 win in front of a packed house.
How It Happened:
After an early feeling out process, the Tigers put a gap between themselves and the Paladins thanks to some solid shooting from Tremont Waters. Furman hung around for much of the first half largely due to LSU turning over the ball 14 times in the first half. It was a sloppy performance offensively, but LSU’s defensive efforts were enough to help them hold a 31-27 lead as both teams headed into the locker room at half.
The Tigers wasted very little time building their lead to start the second half with a 12-3 run to make it a 13-point ballgame before five minutes passed. The Paladins got within five points halfway through the second half, but another strong run to finish the game was enough for LSU to come away with a double-digit win to knock off the previously unbeaten Furman
Big Number: 3
While the Tigers had issues with ball control in the second half, they were able to bounce back in a big way, only committing three turnovers in the final twenty minutes of the ballgame. This has been a big issue for LSU in non-conference play so it was refreshing to see them fix that issue coming out of the locker room.
Player of the Game: Tremont Waters
Tremont Waters didn’t get the start on Friday night, but it didn’t really matter as the sophomore was able to come off the bench and rack up 20 points and seven assists, leading the team in both categories in a winning effort.
Next Up: vs UL Monroe December 28th; Tipoff at 7 pm
-Clint Domingue