Just a day after learning that junior forward Jalen Reed would miss the rest of the season, LSU delivered its gutsiest performance of the year, grinding out a 78–69 road win over Boston College in the ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Tigers came out firing, fueled by the hot hand of Mike Nwoko, who scored LSU’s first six points and helped spark an early 16–7 lead over Boston College. The Tigers’ shooting really ignited in the final 5 minutes of the half, giving LSU a 37-26 lead at halftime.
With Nwoko sidelined by two first-half fouls, Dedan Thomas Jr. stepped up in a big way for LSU, scoring 9 of his 11 points in the final five minutes before the break.
To start the second half, the Eagles would go on a 12-0 run to tie the game up for the first time since the jump ball. BC would take the lead but the Tigers would muster just enough offense down the stretch to send the game to overtime.
LSU failed to keep their foot on the gas coming out of the half, shooting an abysmal 9 for 34 in the second half for their lowest point total in a half this season.
After grinding their way into overtime, the Tigers opened the extra period with a 6–0 burst, and that surge proved enough to carry LSU to a gritty 78–69 win over BC.
BIG NUMBER: 40
On a night when LSU couldn’t buy a bucket from deep, shooting just 15% from three, the Tigers made up for it inside, pouring in 40 points in the paint.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Mike Nwoko
On a night when LSU’s leading scorer, Mike Nwoko saw limited minutes, Dedan Thomas Jr. stepped up in a big way, delivering a season-high 23 points in 39 minutes.
UP NEXT: LSU will travel to Fort Worth, Texas, to take on #19 Texas Tech in the Coast-to-Coast Challenge on Sunday, December 7th at 2 PM.