By Hunt Palmer
THE STORY: Throughout the non-conference slate, LSU has been an excellent second half team. Saturday’s second half against SMU was atrocious.
LSU (8-2) committed 13 second half turnovers, shot 2-of-8 from three-point range and was outscored 47-31 to turn a halftime lead into a disappointing, 74-64, loss.
Turnovers have been an issue for LSU this year. The Tigers entered the game 241st in the country in turnovers per possession. Couple that with the fact that LSU plays at a Top 25 pace, that’s a lot of giveaways. They reared their ugly head on Saturday.
The turnovers lead to 16 Mustang, and they limited LSU’s ability to get shots up. SMU outshot LSU 60-54 from the floor and 23-18 from the free throw line.
That disparity was too much for the Tigers to overcome.
SMU outscored LSU 24-6 over the first nine minutes of the second half. LSU committed 12 turnovers over that period.
Still, the Tigers fought back into the game despite trailing by as many as 12 in the second half.
With 3:15 to play, the Tigers trailed by five, and Dji Bailey got a wide open three from the left corner to cut the lead to two. It missed.
With 42 seconds left and the Tigers down 68-64, Daimion Collins was fouled and sent to the line for a one-and-one to potentially cut the lead to two. He missed the front end.
SMU outscored LSU 6-0 over the last 30 seconds, all of which came on free throws, to make the margin larger than it probably should have been.
LSU controlled the pace of the game early, getting out in transition and creating a nine-point lead with 6:06 to play before halftime. SMU Head Coach Andy Enfield went to zone defense to slow LSU down, but the Tigers did a good job creating quality shots.
LSU shot 45 percent before halftime and only turned the ball over four times. SMU went back to man-to-man in the second half, and LSU wilted.
Vyctorius Miller and Cam Carter combining to go 4-of-15 with seven turnovers is going to be tough for LSU to overcome most days. That was the case Saturday.
This loss won’t cripple LSU. Far from it. But it is absolutely a missed opportunity. Three games remain in the non-conference, and they’re against Stetson, New Orleans and Mississippi Valley State who are a combined 5-23 this year. All three will be Quadrant 4 games.
At this point, the non-conference performance is a passing grade but not outstanding. The next two weeks will be about preparing for the SEC slate to come.
THE STATS: SMU won points in the paint 42-24
LSU was outrebounded 41-31. Only Mississippi State has beaten SMU on the glass this year.
Matt Cross of SMU had 16 rebounds. Corey Chest pulled down 11.
LSU finished 4-of-15 from three-point range.
Cam Carter was 3-for-11 from the floor and just 1-for-3 from long range.
LSU only played eight players. Derek Fountain and Mike Williams III did not play. Every LSU starters played 30 pr more minutes. Bailey played 39 minutes.
SMU started just 5-of-18 from the floor.
LSU started the second half 2-of-9 from the floor.
LSU has only been held under 70 points twice this year, both losses to Pittsburgh and SMU.
