PALMER POSTGAME: Turnovers, rebounding doom Tigers in SEC opener

By Hunt Palmer

THE STORY: After three weeks of intermittent games against overmatched competition, LSU wasn’t ready to play on Saturday.

The dreadful offensive start from the Tigers proved too much to overcome late as Vanderbilt escaped Baton Rouge with an 80-72 win.

This one is sobering for a couple of reasons. One, this was a chance to get a league win. You didn’t. Two, it’s a dose of reality when you assess the next 17 games. This Vanderbilt team on your floor is about as manageable a game as is on LSU’s schedule.

It’s a loss.

Vanderbilt ran its playbook to perfection in the first half. The Commodores have an identity of opportunistic defense and careful, ball-controlled offense completely shaped the game.

LSU stumbled and fumbled its way to 11 first-half turnovers that produced 15 Vanderbilt points. Meanwhile, the Commodores turned it over just three times before the break. That led to a 34-19 field goal attempt disparity. That only grew in the second half. In the game, Vanderbilt attempted 64 field goals to LSU’s 48. You can’t win a game like that.

But LSU had a chance to.

Cam Carter got it going after intermission and brought LSU all the way back even with a massive three-ball with 8:22 left. Carter didn’t score again until there were six seconds left.

Meanwhile AJ Hoggard from Vanderbilt took over. He buried a pair of huge triples, one to regain the lead, and scored 12 points over a four-minute span from 6:26 to 2:01. That helped Vanderbilt to a seven-point lead LSU could not overcome.

The Tigers have real issues. We knew that. But a soft December masked them.

This group is bad on the defensive glass. The smallest team in the league just grabbed 17 offensive rebounds on LSU.

This group turns the ball over too much. The Tigers turned it over 15 times.

This group lacks a physical presence defensively, A 6-foot-8 Jaylen Carey bulled his way to the rim for 14 points. The length that affected the Stetsons and Mississippi Valey States didn’t bother an SEC team.

The Tigers fought their way back into the game and played what amounted to a pretty good second half until the final few minutes. They’re just going to be outmanned as this season moves forward.

Four of the next five are on the road. The Tigers head to Missouri for a late tip on Tuesday night.

THE STATS: Vanderbilt won second chance points 18-4.

Vanderbilt’s bench outscored LSU 40-8.

Vanderbilt, the nation’s steals leader, created 10.

LSU shot just 5-for-18 from three (28%).

Vanderbilt led for 33:29. LSU led for 2:50.

Vanderbilt’s 80 points is the most LSU has given up in regulation this year. LSU’s 27 first half points were its second fewest of the season.

LSU outshot Vanderbilt 50% to 44%, but Vanderbilt attempted 64 field goals to LSU’s 48, a disparity of 16 shots.

Vyctorius Miller struggled in his first league game. He turned the ball over 3 times and only attempted one field goal, a rushed three that he missed.

THE QUOTES:

Cam Carter on the first half…

“I feel like in the first half we had our ‘welcome to the SEC’ moment for all of us. The second half we woke up and were able to run our actions, and we were a lot tougher on offense and defense. “

Jordan Sears on Vanderbilt’s defense…

“They’re very pesky. The little bumps kind of knock you off balance and throw off your game. I don’t think it’s anything too crazy. We can learn from it, of course, just being stronger with the ball, myself included.”

Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington on A.J Hoggard’s closing stretch…

“AJ Hoggard, the plays he made, that’s not coaching. That’s a player right there making play, and that was good for our team.”

LSU coach Matt McMahon…

“Clearly, coming in, we knew their ability to turn you over was No. 1 in the country. Clearly, their pressure really bothered us, the physicality in the first half. We had a lot of empty trips there with the 11 first half turnovers. I thought in the second half our guys were stronger with the basketball offensively. We were able to get downhill offensively and get to the rim to finish plays and take the lead there on the run.”