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The predictions of finishing 12th in the SEC seemed like a reality early on, with LSU trailing for nearly the entire half and losing 43-39 at halftime. Whatever took place in the locker room at halftime, however, completely turned the game around, as LSU outscored the Terriers 52-26 in the second half. I hate the cliché saying “A Tale of Two Halves,” but that couldn’t be more appropriate this afternoon.
Wofford shot a scorching 7-13 behind the arc in the first half, and LSU just couldn’t keep up until the forward combo of Aaron Epps and freshman Wayde Sims made five 3 pointers. Wofford’s shooting cooled down dramatically in the second half, posting a 21.2 FG% to LSU’s 57.6%.
JUCO transfer big man Duop Reath led the Tigers with a double-double, scoring 23 points and rebounding 14. He also recorded 3 steals, 3 blocks, and an assist while only fouling once and turning the ball over once.
Aaron Epps finished just short of a double-double himself, making 7-10 from the field and posting 17 points and recording 9 rebounds. Freshman Wayde Sims scored 13 with 8 rebounds. Skylar Mays looks very comfortable with the offense, scoring 10 and dishing out 6 assists. Antonio Blakeney scored 10 points, six of those from free throws on six attempts.
On that note, LSU did something I haven’t seen consistently from them in a long time: shoot free throws well. 17-21 at the line is good for an 81% mark, much better than the performance we saw from the exhibition Monday. LSU outscored Wofford 50-24 in the paint, and 25-13 on second chance attempts. They finished the game shooting 34-66 from the field, 6-21 from behind the arc. Three point shooting needs some work big time, especially from Blakeney who went 0-5.
LSU Basketball next takes on the Southern Miss Golden Eagles Tuesday, November 15th at 7pm in the PMAC. This game will be televised on SEC Network+.