LSU handles Kansas State in road opener, 76-65

In its first road game of the year, LSU ran away with a 76-65 win over Kansas State on Thursday night at Bramlage Coliseum, improving to 3-0 on the young season and dominating on both sides of the ball.

The Tigers came away with a victory in a true-road game to start the away-game slate for the first time since Nov. 26, 2005, when LSU knocked off No. 13 West Virginia. It was LSU’s first non-conference road win at any point in its schedule since the 2020 season when the Tigers beat Texas in Austin in the SEC/Big 12 Basketball Challenge.

“This is what you come to places like LSU, to play in these types of environments,” said LSU Head Coach Matt McMahon. “I thought our guys really delivered in all areas of the game. In the first half. I thought the unselfishness and the ball movement on offense was great, 13 assists on 17 made baskets. We were efficient there. But I really thought for 40 minutes. We guarded. We guarded at a high level. We were really concerned coming in. K-State was top 10 in the country in transition scoring. They had zero points in transition.

“We wanted to defend the three-point line. They are shooting 43 percent as a team. We hold them to 5-21 there behind the arc. And then I just thought we had a dominant performance on the glass, you know, plus 18 on the glass and just a strong performance. I thought our players really competed at a high level and we are connected. That is what you want as a coach, no doubt about it. Totally connected team effort tonight.”

Kansas State transfer Cam Carter led LSU with 20 points — hitting three threes — while guard Jordan Sears also knocked down three treys in scoring 15 points with seven rebounds and five assists. LSU freshman Vyctorius Miller came off the bench for 15 points with two three-pointers, while Daimion Collins made all five field goal attempts in scoring 12 points. Corey Chest led the Tigers with 13 rebounds in 21 minutes of action.

Carter gave the Tigers the lead for good at the 9:10 mark of the first half with a three-pointer that put LSU up 23-21. That started a 9-0 run that gave LSU a 27-21 advantage with 8:04 to go before halftime. LSU moved the ball efficiently on offense, rebounded on both ends and stopped K-State’s attempts to get back in the game.

Up 27-24, the Tigers went on a 12-0 run that pushed the lead to 39-24 on a Sears three-pointer with 3:59 left in the first half. LSU led by as many as 17 in the opening 20 minutes and led 43-31 at intermission.

The Tigers stopped any run from Kansas State in the second half, as the Wildcats cut the margin to 10 points twice in the first four minutes and nine at 49-40 with 14:28 to play. But LSU scored the next seven points to get the lead back to 16 and the Wildcats never got the game under single digits the rest of the way.

Kansas State was led by David N’Guessan and Dug McDaniel with 16 points each.

LSU hit 50 percent from the field (27-of-54), including eight treys and 14-of-18 from the free-throw line. LSU had 19 assists on the 27 made buckets. More importantly, the Tigers outrebounded Kansas State, 43-25, including 11-8 on the offensive glass. The Tigers posted 16 second chance points in the game.

Kansas State was held to just 37.7 percent (23-of-61) including 5-of-21 from three-point range and 14-of-20 at the free throw line. The Wildcats turned it over just seven times. The teams were even in points in the paint at 34-34 and K-State had a 14-13 advantage in points off turnovers.

The Tigers will return home for a Tuesday night game at 7 p.m. CT against Charleston Southern in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

*LSU press release