The LSU Tigers had to overcome a seven point deficit at the end of the third quarter, but coach Matt McMahon’s team battled back to beat Puerto Rico 86-82 at the Imperial Ballroom in Paradise Island, Bahamas.
“I was thrilled to see some of the leadership and the response from some of our older guys there in the fourth quarter,” McMahon said in a release. “The third quarter was arguably the worst quarter in the history of Bahamas basketball. Finding a way to respond to that, I thought Mwani Wilkinson hit two huge threes for us, [autotag]Daimion Collins[/autotag] hit a huge three. I loved our unselfishness on the offensive end of the floor. 20 assists on 29 baskets, we moved and shared the ball. The problem is the turnovers and illegal screens cost us a lot of possessions. Overall, it was a great experience for our guys to learn from: the positive response in the fourth quarter, the energy and effort in the first half and to learn from the tragedy of the third quarter.”
LSU led 50-30 at halftime in the game, which wasn’t broadcast. But some sloppy play — namely a concerning 29 turnovers — allowed Puerto Rico to get back in the game.
Still, some timely offense allowed LSU to erase a late deficit and take the win. [autotag]Tyrell Ward[/autotag] led the team with 19 points on 6 of 9 shooting, including a 3 of 6 performance behind the arc.
Transfers [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] and Collins each scored 13 points, while transfer big man [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag] had 11, as did [autotag]Mwani Wilkinson[/autotag]. As a team, LSU shot 57% from the field in a solid offensive performance.
Mwani Mondays are SO back 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4lwgNU04Z1
— LSU Basketball (@LSUBasketball) August 7, 2023
“I thought Tyrell (Ward) has had a great offseason,” McMahon said. “We all know he is wired to score, and I thought he shot the ball well. He was able to get out in transition and get some baskets for us, he hit two clutch free throws late in the game. I thought Daimion (Collins) really responded well in the fourth quarter and made big plays for us. He ran the floor, had a couple of putback and got a rim runner for a dunk to put us up one and of course, the big three he hit. I thought you saw Will (Baker), not only his ability to score in the post but also his passing. For us right now, with so many guys out, having another guy like Will who can facilitate is important.”
The one negative for the Tigers came in the game’s opening seconds, when true freshman Mike Williams suffered an injury while hyperextending his knee on a breakaway layup. After the game, McMahon didn’t have an update on his condition.
LSU will be back in action on Tuesday when it takes on the Bahamas.
“Excited to get to play again tomorrow,” McMahon said. “Jalen Reed will work out in the morning and we think he will be able to play some tomorrow which will be good for us. Just another opportunity to get better. The reality is we have eight newcomers and combining them with our five returners so the opportunities are priceless to work together and get into some game situations and play different combinations of people together and start to establish the chemistry of the team.”
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