With 18 seconds to play, East Tennessee State had a chance to tie or win down two against the Tigers. But a missed mid-range shot and some clutch free throws from Trae Hannibal was enough for LSU to keep its winning streak alive and move to 11-1 entering SEC play.
The Tigers have been no stranger to close calls this year, but in the first half, it looked like they were going to avoid one this time around. They led by 13 at the break, but a 54.3% shooting performance from the Buccaneers in the second half allowed them to come back.
They outscored LSU by nine in the final frame and brought the margin within two. The Tigers, meanwhile, shot just 41.2% in the second half after hitting more than half their shots in the first. They also turned the ball over 16 times.
It was a sloppy game in many ways, but another big performance from [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag] saved the day. The Murray State transferred registered another double-double, scoring 28 points with 12 rebounds.
[autotag]Derek Fountain[/autotag] also had a solid game, scoring 11 points with eight rebounds as the Tigers scored 38 points in the paint.
It wasn’t the most encouraging performance heading into SEC play, but it will have to do as Matt McMahon’s team faces a top-10 program in Arkansas at home on Wednesday night. LSU will be looking for its first Quadrant 1 win of the season.
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