Paradise Jam: LSU defeats Weber State 72-58

After a disappointing loss to Old Dominion Friday The Tigers rebounded with a victory over Weber State. The defense once again looked good, but the offense struggled in the first half. Forward Jordan Mickey gave some life to the team, leading The Tigers with 27 points and 14 rebounds. Mickey also led the team with 18 points and 14 rebounds in the overtime win against Texas Tech. In the loss to Old Dominion he only posted 5 points and 6 rebounds. Perhaps Mickey will be able to revamp the offense moving forward in the season. It was far from a one man game, however. Guard Keith Hornsby had 18 points and Jarell Martin added another 11 for The Tigers.

With 5 minutes left in the first half LSU led Weber State 26-16, but The Wildcats went on an 11-1 run to cut the lead to 1. Weber State then tied the game at the beginning of the second half, before LSU went on a 12-3 run and never looked back. The Tigers made 49% of their shots from the field, and they shot 61% in the second half. It also helped that Weber State commited 18 turnovers that led to 20 points for LSU. The Wildcats fall to 1-3, and will face Nevada Monday for their final Paradise Jam game. LSU improves to 3-1 on the season.

The Tigers will face Clemson in their final game of the tournament. A win over Clemson would give LSU fourth place. This would bode well for The Tiger's postseason hopes (if any), as LSU will need all the quality wins possible. Clemson is 2-2 on the season with wins over Florida A&M and Nevada.

Clemson is averaging 77 points per game, which could pose a problem for LSU on Monday. Against Nevada Clemson had a strong first half, and relied mostly on their defense in the second half. Clemson also spreads the ball around more, with seven different players averaging double digit points per game. Look for LSU to start slow again on Monday, but hopefully once again finish the game strong.