LSU defeats Vanderbilt 77-69, improving to 2-0 in SEC play

BATON ROUGE, La. – Jalen Cook netted a season-high 28 points and the team logged a season-best 87.0 free throw percentage (20-of-23) as LSU defeated Vanderbilt 77-69 in their SEC home opener Tuesday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

The Tigers improve to 10-5 this season and 2-0 in SEC play, while the Commodores fall to 5-10 and 0-2 in league play. LSU is 2-0 in conference play for the first time in four seasons.

Next for LSU is a 5 p.m. CT tip on Saturday, Jan. 13, at No. 16 Auburn inside Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala., on SEC Network.

LSU continued to be more physical than its opponent as they owned the paint with 44 points, turned in its eighth game of the season with double-digit steals (11) and outscored Vandy 18-7 in points off turnovers. The Tigers also took care of the ball, keeping their turnovers down to single digits at eight, and turned over the Commodores 15 times.

Cook – who led a trio of double-figure scorers, shot 10-of-17 from the floor and grabbed four rebounds. Jordan Wright followed with 15 points, including 7-of-8 at the charity stripe against his former team, and had four rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Mike Williams III scored 10 points and turned in a career-high eight rebounds, including six boards in the first half alone. Williams also recorded two steals in the win.

Vanderbilt finished with five players in double-digit scoring, including Ezra Manjon’s team-high 19 points. Ven-Allen Lubin and Tyrin Lawrence scored 11 points each, and Jason Rivera-Torres and Evan Taylor concluded with 10.

An up-and-down first half saw the Tigers take a 30-28 lead into the half. LSU used a 15-6 run to build a 19-12 advantage and led by as many as nine points at 21-12 in the opening 20 minutes. However, Vanderbilt strung together a pair of 6-0 runs and tied the game 28 before Wright knocked down a pair of free throws with 1:43 left in the half to reestablish the slight intermission lead.

Another fast start to the second half lifted the Tigers to victory as they stretched their lead to 15 at 49-34, highlighted by an 8-0 run with 14:10 on the clock. LSU led by double digits for most of the half until a late 7-0 run by the Commodores cut the lead to seven points at 65-58 with 4:28 left to play. Vanderbilt got as close as six points at 67-61, but LSU withstood the run as they finished 10-of-11 at the free throw line down the stretch to hang on for the win.

Although it was not the best offensive night for LSU, shooting 42.2 percent from the floor (27-64) and just 3-of-16 from 3-point range (18.8%), the defense was able to hold Vanderbilt to a 25.9 (7-of-27) 3-point field goal percentage in addition to their superior foul shooting.

*LSU press release

LSU Head Coach Matt McMahon postgame

Opening Statement … 

“Really proud of our players, we found a way to win. I thought our effort on the defensive side of the ball was terrific. We won the turnover battle. Obviously, I would have liked to have been a little more efficient on the offensive side of the basketball. Ultimately, the goal is to win. I thought our players on Saturday night emptied the tank, everything that we had from a toughness, an emotion, a passion standpoint. The goal was to get back, prepare Sunday and Monday, and find a way to win tonight. I am thrilled with our guys’ effort to get that done.”

On the growth and improvement of the defense …

“There have been some minor changes, but it is really all on the players and their ability to compete at a high level in practice. We had a lot of practice time, the way the schedule fell, and I thought our players maximized that time to get better. The areas that were really weaknesses for us early in the season, such as, defensive rebounding, defending the three-point line, and taking care of the basketball. The amount of growth and improvement there over the last month is really impressive from our players. They have gone from weaknesses to strengths. We still have a lot of work to do there, but by not turning the ball over as much, we give ourselves a chance offensively. Limiting the opponent’s second chance points and taking away the three-point line have been a good formula for us to keep improving as a team.”

On the increase of rebounds …

“I think there is some technique there through drill work and practice, but the majority is the beauty of rebounding. I think it was the late, great Skip Prosser (former Wake Forest Men’s Basketball Head Coach) that always talked about the rebounds being addressed to ‘whom it may concern’. I think those rebounds have been of more concern to our players, their effort to chase them, and the physicality of the glass. We were not as good on the offensive glass tonight as we were Saturday, but the defensive rebounding was really strong.”