LSU's offense falters late, losing at No. 11 Texas A&M, 68-57

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M Aggies used a 10-0 run in the middle of the second half to break open a tight game and score a 68-57 victory over the LSU Tigers Saturday night at Reed Arena.

Texas A&M and the Tigers, after battling through an even first half in which neither team offensively was at its sharpest, continued to go back and forth in the first six minutes of the second half with LSU taking a 43-42 lead at the 14:09 mark on a layup by Dji Bailey.

But Texas A&M was able to get off its winning run while LSU struggled, hitting just 1-of-7 field goals, with six turnovers and no points over a six-minute period. The Aggies in the run turned a missed free throw into a tip-in and then off an LSU turnover got a three-pointer to highlight the play.

The lead ran out to 52-43 when LSU called timeout with 8:15 to go. LSU scored after the timeout to cut it to seven, but the Tigers could not make a move to get closer.

Cam Carter led LSU with 16 points while Jordan Sears had 11 for the Tigers. Zhuric Phelps had 13 to lead Texas A&M, with Wade Taylor IV scoring 12 and Henry Coleman 10.

Texas A&M was 26-of-61 for the game from the field (42.6 percent) and 31.8 percent from distance (7-of-22). The Aggies struggled mightily from the free throw line, making just 9-of-21 for 42 percent.

LSU for the game was 17-of-47 (36.2 percent) and just 7-of-29 from distance (24.1 percent). LSU did continue to shoot free tosses well in SEC play, making 16-of-18 (88.9 percent).

The Aggies would eventually move past the Tigers in rebounds, 38-33 and 14-6 on the offensive boards. A&M forced 18 turnovers to just nine committed by the Aggies and that resulted in a 19-4 advantage in points off turnovers.

LSU and Texas A&M battled to a 30-30 standoff at halftime after the Aggies jumped out early with six straight points. The home team had six early points off turnovers and a lead that reached 12-4 after the first six minutes.

Down 20-14, the Tigers scored eight straight points on three free throws by Sears, a layup by Robert Miller III and a three-pointer Dji Bailey to get a 22-20 advantage. Texas A&M came back to take a 25-22 lead before a Curtis Givens III three-pointer tied it again at 25. A

A&M had a 30-25 advantage in the final 2:30, but LSU came back to get the tie on a tip-in by Robert Miler and then a free throw by Carter.

Both teams struggled to shoot in the first half, posting in the 30s overall and in the 20s from the arc, but LSU continued its good shooting from the line, making 8-of-9 and out rebounded the Aggies, 21-19, in the opening 20 minutes.

The Tigers will return to action at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, January 25 in a road game at No. 4 Alabama.

Post-game quotes

LSU Head Coach Matt McMahon

On the difference between the first and second half…
“Yeah, I thought the first half, you know, the preparation and the focus from our guys along with the physicality was really good. We were able to limit them- they did not have any second chance points in the first half. While we did not shoot the ball very well, we go in at the half because we were able to limit some turnovers in the first half. Second half, you know, we’ll look back and watch the film on that stretch where I believe it’s a 43-all. 45 or 43, in there, they got us. We had empty trip after empty trip with turnovers. Took a bad shot in that stretch and fouled on the rebound. And then the two free throw box outs that led to an execution of a sideline out of bounds 3 for them to push it up to 9, and we were never able to recover at that point. But 11 second-half turnovers just makes it impossible to win.”

On the separation caused by Texas A&M in the second half…
“They just, I thought, imposed their will physically. We weren’t able to get by off the dribble. I thought in the first half the ball moved a lot better. We were able to draw, because when you drive it, they swarm you and then it becomes about decision making and trying to get some of those lookout threes. But then the second half, we just we had so many empty trips and so the end result of the 11 second half turnovers they got 9 offensive rebounds in the second half, is they end up taking 14 more shots for the game and you just can’t overcome that, especially on the road.”

*LSU press release