THE STORY
LSU missed out on a pair of scrimmages due to eligibility concerns.
The Tigers basically turned the regular season opener versus LSU New Orleans into one on Tuesday night. The final was 100-57, and it was never closely contested.
LSU led by 20 after 10 and a half minutes and 36 at halftime. The lead swelled to 50 just over seven minutes into the second half and was played out by reserves down the stretch.
It was LSU’s defense that set the tone.
The Privateers started 1-for-13 and finished the first half 5-for-27 (19%). They came out of the locker room and clanged eight straight for good measure. The shots were largely contested by a swarming Tiger defense that mixed in full court pressure and some aggressive passing lane pressure that LSUNO was simply not equipped to handle.
Saliou Niang used his exceptional length and athleticism to hound ball handlers up the floor. He finished with six steals in 21 minutes. He also grabbed 12 rebounds.
Donovan Dent controlled the LSU offense both in transition and in the half court. He was a top five assist man in the country last year, and he picked up where he left off at UCLA by handing out 10 in his LSU debut to go with 19 points which also led the team.
It was a comfortable start for a team that hasn’t been on the floor together much.
The most intriguing player on this roster is Michael Ruzic who came off the bench and made 8-of-11 field goal to tally 17 points. He did his work around the bucket catching lobs and putbacks.
Truth be told, this was not a fair fight. Friday won’t be, either. This team basically gets three dress rehearsals before the trip to Gonzaga. That’s when we’ll really learn where this team is.
The opener was a good start.
THE STATS
Field Goals: LSU 39-for-76 (51%); LSUNO 14-for-60 (23%)
Free Throws: LSU 15-for-20 (75%); LSUNO 23-for-38 (61%)
Donovan Dent: 19 points, 6-for-13 FG, 2-for-5 3 pt, 5-for-6 FT, 10 ast, 0 TO
Saliou Niang: 14 pts, 5-for-7 FG, 0-for-1 3 pt, 4-for-5 FT, 14 reb, 1 stl
Brice Dessert: 13 pts, 6-for-9 FG
LSU won paint points 60-20
LSU assisted on 24 field goals. LSUNO had four assists (six shy of Dent’s total)
LSU outrebounded LSUNO 53-38
No LSU Tiger played more than 30 minutes
WHAT’S NEXT
LSU is back in action on Friday against Texas Southern. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
