SMU heats up in second half to beat LSU 74-64 in Frisco

FRISCO, Texas – SMU shot nearly 70 percent for the first 12 minutes of the second half and forced the LSU men’s basketball team into mistakes, as the Mustangs rallied for a 74-64 win in the Compete 4 Cause Classic at Comerica Center on Saturday.

LSU fell to 8-2 on the season, while SMU improved to 9-2.

The game proved to be a game of two halves, as the Tigers were able to build as much as a nine-point first-half advantage and led by six at intermission, 33-27.

In the first eight minutes of the second half, SMU was able to get easy buckets and force the Tigers to turn the ball over, wrestling control of the game.

Jordan Sears had a good night for the Tigers with 21 points, four assists and four steals. Dji Bailey hit two treys in scoring 13 points, while Cam Carter had 11 points with six assists and three steals.

LSU redshirt freshman forward Corey Chest had 11 rebounds, his fourth straight double-figure rebound game. He became the first LSU player to have double figure rebounds in four consecutive games since Ben Simmons in 2016.

Matt Cross for SMU had 16 points and 16 rebounds while Samet Yigitoglu and B. J. Edwards had 12 points each. Edwards had six assists and three steals.

The Tigers were out-rebounded, 41-31, in the game with SMU getting a 42-26 advantage in points in the paint. The Mustangs overall shot 59.3 percent in the second half (16-of-27). SMU for the game shot 27-of-60 for 45.0 percent. LSU shot 42.6 percent for the game (23-of-54) with four treys and 14-of-18 at the free throw line.

Sears put the Tigers on his back in the first half, scoring 12 points, getting points off paint jump shots and his bucket at the 6:06 mark gave LSU a nine-point, 24-15, lead.

The Tigers turned the ball over just four times in the first 20 minutes with eight assists on 13 buckets. LSU held the Mustangs to just 33.3 percent in the first half from the field (11-of-33).

The second half proved to be too much SMU. After Bailey made two free throws to take a 39-37 lead for the Tigers, the Mustangs took complete control of the game, scoring the next 14 points to take a 51-39 lead. LSU in that run had four turnovers and missed two shots as it tried to keep pace with SMU.

The Tigers couldn’t get a shot to fall in the run, eventually going six minutes without a field goal as SMU continued to hold a 53-43 advantage with 9:50 to play.

But, as has been the case this year, the Tigers continued to battle and made a run over the final nine minutes of the game, cutting the game to five, 64-59, on a Daimion Collins dunk with 3:51 to play. Carter’s basket with 2:33 lead cut the SMU lead to four and later a Collins basket put LSU within three, 66-63, with 1:47 left.

The Mustangs were able to answer from there and held LSU without a field goal the rest of the way.

The Tigers return home for two games this coming week against Stetson on Tuesday at 8 p.m. CT (SEC Network) and Sunday, Dec. 22, against UNO (2 p.m. CT, streaming SECN+). Both games will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network.

Fans can bring a toy for a donation for Toys For Tots for either game and receive a ticket for just $5. WBRZ-TV will be handing out T-shirts on Tuesday for all those bringing a toy to donate.

*LSU press release