Late lapses cost Tigers at Texas A&M

By Hunt Palmer

LSU took a late first half lead and gave it up. Then the Tigers took a late second half lead and gave it up.

Two late threes put Texas A&M ahead at halftime. Two late LSU turnovers gave the Aggies the win.

Playing without starting point guard Dedan Thomas Jr., LSU turned the ball 10 times in the second half including four times in the last 2:25.

Freshman fill in Jalen Reece was stripped of the ball in the backcourt with 2:25 to play in a tied game. The Aggies turned that possession into a pair of free throws to take the lead. Twenty seconds later, Rashad King tried to get the ball to Reece, and it was taken away. A&M added a point to its lead from the charity stripe.

The game went from tied to a three-point A&M lead without LSU crossing half court.

The Tigers did cut it to one on Reece’s ensuing bucket, but Michael Nwoko, playing with four fouls, essentially let Rashaun Agee have a path to the basket on the other end. He’s got to offer more resistance there, even risking fouling out.

Texas A&M was among the worst matchups for LSU without Thomas. The Aggies thrive on pressure and chaos. Thomas’s ball handling and shot creation would have been a huge plus. Reece handled himself exceptionally well for about 35 minutes. A couple of miscues late really cost LSU.

An undersized Aggie lineup beat LSU on the glass by eight and tied the Tigers in paint points. The free throw line was also going to be a key stat. both teams lean on it heavily, and the Aggies won it 12-8 in the second half.

Max Mackinnon continued his strong play. He poured in three early threes and scored 20 points with five assists. Nwoko was 7-of-10 from both the floor and the free throw line. He led the way with 21 points.

LSU erased a 10-point second half deficit with steady play and some shot making. Reece’s seven assists can’t be dismissed. There was a stretch in the middle of the second half where he was excellent.

Ultimately, it’s a loss that stings. LSU had a chance to steal one on the road and ultimately had it stolen from them. Literally. LSU probably needed a poor shooting day from the Aggies, and that showed up. A&M shot just 29 percent from deep. That opened the door, but LSU couldn’t kick it down.

LSU shifts its attention to South Carolina on Tuesday in a game with massive implications.

Not to get too far down the road, but after South Carolina visits Baton Rouge, a brutal stretch awaits LSU: at Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Missouri, at Florida, at Arkansas.

Aside from the Missouri game, the odds will be stacked against LSU in the others. A really rough start to league play is on the table.

That said, LSU did some really good things on the road Saturday afternoon, and the team is good enough to win league games. They have a legitimate post scorer, a veteran playmaker at point guard, a shooting threat on the wing and some real length.

All 18 league games just count for one. Trying to group three or four together is foolish. It’s just important that LSU gets that first win Tuesday. We’ll see what Thomas’s health status looks like.

The margins are slim in the SEC. That was evident Saturday evening.