LSU didn’t have any trouble in its season opener.
The Tigers rolled to a 27-point halftime lead on their way to a 106-60 home rout of outmanned Mississippi Valley State on Monday night. All 12 players who entered the game scored.
They’ll face another potentially outmanned opponent when they meet Nicholls on Friday night in Baton Rouge, La.
On Monday, LSU took advantage of Nevada graduate transfer Will Baker’s 7-foot height on the inside. He scored a game-high 29 points in 19 minutes.
“We wanted to really establish Will in the post,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said. “The guys got him a lot of easy touches down in the post, where they were playing him one-on-one.”
Baker made 10 of 11 field-goal attempts, including both of his 3-point attempts, and was 7 of 8 on free throws.
“All credit to my teammates,” Baker said. “They were looking inside for me as part of the game plan because I had a decided advantage down low.”
The Tigers surpassed their previous high point total in McMahon’s two seasons by 15 points and the defense was outstanding as well. The Delta Devils shot 38.2 percent and committed 22 turnovers.
The Colonels hung tough on the road against Tulane in their opener, grabbing a 12-point first-half lead before losing 91-81 on Monday night.
“When you have the dreams and aspirations like we do, you can’t turn the ball over that many times,” Nicholls first-year coach Tevon Saddler said. “Turnovers cost us the game. It was a recipe for disaster.”
The Colonels had four double-figure scorers. Jamal West Jr. had a game-high 24 points, Mekhi Collins had 14 points and 13 rebounds, Diante Smith scored 11 and Jalen White 10.
Nicholls had nine more rebounds than Tulane but made just 9 of 20 free throws.
–Field Level Media