A second half rally came up short as LSU went back to its losing ways, falling 52-46 to Missouri in Columbia.
Where LSU normally struggles in the second half of games, against Missouri, they struggled in the first. With just under five minutes left in the first quarter, Missouri was up by twelve after Lindsey Cunningham hit a three pointer. Mizzou would maintain a double-digit lead throughout most of the first half, ultimately entering the break up by 17.
Fortunes appeared to be shifting in the second half as LSU’s offense capitalized while Missouri’s offense struggled. LSU would open the third quarter on 17-3 run, making it a one point game when Alexis Hyder hit a pair of free throws. The start of the fourth quarter would see a drop in scoring for both teams, but mostly detrimental to LSU. Just six points combined were scored in the first five minutes of the quarter, all by Missouri. LSU would hit a pair of free throws with 2:34 left in the game, their first points of the fourth quarter. The first LSU field goal of the quarter would come with 36 seconds in the half. Alexis Hyder led all LSU scorers with 23. The Tigers used just seven players in the loss, still suffering from injuries.
After three promising games, LSU this is certainly more of a stinker performance. Still, it was promising to see a bit of a comeback in the third quarter, even if they offense regressed in the fourth quarter. Thankfully, LSU still has two conference wins, as does Alabama and Ole Miss, meaning it takes just one win to get out of the SEC basement. However, with games against South Carolina, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, and Florida, the top four teams in the conference as of Friday, opportunities for picking up more wins will be limited.