Matt McMahon breaks down LSU's improved offense in second half against Alabama State

LSU had their tailed handed to them 75-60 by Kansas State inside their home court last weekend. Head coach Matt McMahon called for his team to step up during their mid-week mid-major matchup — and they did exactly that, defeating Alabama State 75-56 on Wednesday.

The Tigers’ eventual 18-point victory wasn’t always guaranteed, however. Alabama State even took a four-point lead over LSU into the halftime locker room. Outscoring the Hornets 44-22 during the second half, McMahon identified some of the improvements that he saw from his squad during the final 20 minutes of the game.

“In the second half, shooting the ball. I thought our pace offensively was better,” McMahon said postgame. “I’m not talking about just sprinting up and down the floor in transition. I thought the ball movement was a lot crisper in the second half, our cuts were a lot sharper, we set better screens.

“So overall, I thought the execution was better, but I know we talked about it after that Kansas State game, I thought in the second half we passed up some good shots, or actually, some great shots in possessions and it led to a lesser shot later in the possession. I thought we did some of those same things again in the first half tonight. “

Four players would go on to score in double figures for LSU during the win. Freshman Mike Williams III led the way with 15 points thanks to three-made three-point baskets. Jordan Wright and Jalen Reed scored 13 points a piece as well, while vet Trae Hannibal scored 11 points off the bench.

As a team, LSU combined to shoot a strong 39.1 percent (9-of-23) from behind the arc while also knocking down 52.1 percent (25-48) of their shots overall. Both marks are good for McMahon’s squad’s best offensive performance of December as of this report.

“Credit to our players, I thought, just a lot more aggressive offensively,” McMahon continued. “Execution was a lot better and led to some high quality shots and guys stepped up and knocked them down.”

McMahon will need even more from his guys for LSU’s next matchup against a tough No. 19 Texas team in Houston. The game will be played inside the Toyota Center, which will serve as a neutral court despite being in the Longhorns’ back yard. Saturday’s opening tip-off is scheduled for Noon ET and will be aired live on ESPN2.