Tag: KJ Williams

PHOTOS: LSU moves to 10-1 on the year with win over Winthrop

The Tigers survived another close call after trailing at the half against the Eagles.

LSU had yet another close call against Winthrop on Saturday night, trailing by one point at the break and leading by just four with under two minutes to play. But in a shootout in which both teams shot above 50% from the field, coach Matt McMahon’s team moved to 10-1 to begin his tenure in Baton Rouge with an 89-81 win.

[autotag]Cam Hayes[/autotag] led the way offensively for the Tigers after exiting late in the last game with what McMahon described as a cramp, scoring 25 points. [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag] (18 points) and [autotag]Adam Miller[/autotag] (14 points) also scored in double figures.

LSU turned the ball over 10 times, but it also forced 12 turnovers of its own and netted 21 points off those mistakes.

The Tigers will return to the court Wednesday night when they host East Tennessee State in the final tuneup before conference play begins against Arkansas. Here were the best photos from Saturday night’s win.

Instant Analysis: LSU basketball survives shootout against Winthrop to win 5th-straight game

The Tigers had another anxiety-inducing game, but they moved to 10-1 with the win over the Eagles.

Not much has come easy for the Tigers to start the season, with most games against even mid-major opponents being a bit too close for comfort. Saturday night’s game against Winthrop — a solid mid-major team that, despite its current 5-6 record, was picked to finish second in the Big South — was another such example.

Despite trailing by one point entering halftime against the Eagles, LSU managed to pull away in the second half to earn an 89-81 win and move to 10-1 to begin the [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] era.

Both team shot above 50% in this game, but after trading the lead back and forth for much of the first half, it looked like the Tigers were going to pull away in the second. They stretched their lead out to as much as 12 in the second frame, but Winthrop never went away, cutting the lead to four points with just 1:21 to play.

Still, thanks to an offensive onslaught from LSU, it wasn’t enough. The Tigers were unstoppable on offense in the final 20 minutes, shooting 67.7% for the period.

After exiting late in the win over NC Central with a cramp, Cam Hayes led the team in scoring with 25 points. [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag] (18 points) and [autotag]Adam Miller [/autotag](14) also scored in double figures. Still, this was about as vulnerable as the Tigers have looked defensively all year.

Winthrop’s Cory Hightower (25 points), Kelton Tarford (23) and Sin’Cere McMahon (18) were electric offensively, and the Eagles had 14 second-chance points. Unfortunately, the mistakes ultimately proved costly. Winthrop turned the ball over 12 times and LSU took advantage, scoring 21 points off those turnovers.

The Tigers have one-more tuneup against East Tennessee State on Wednesday night before SEC play begins against Arkansas on Dec. 28.

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Photos: LSU basketball takes down North Carolina Central 67-57

The Tigers are 9-1 on the year after Tuesday night’s win.

The Tigers are no stranger to close games, and Tuesday night’s 67-57 win over the North Carolina Central Eagles was no different.

After a back-and-forth first half that saw 10 lead changes, LSU managed to pull away and take a 14-point lead to the locker room. That wouldn’t last, however, as NCCU — one of the top three-point shooting teams in the nation — came out firing in the second half to cut that lead to just four.

Despite struggling offensively in the second half, the Tigers ultimately pulled away thanks to great games from [autotag]Derek Fountain[/autotag] and [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag], who each notched double-doubles, as well as [autotag]Cam Hayes[/autotag], who scored 14 points but left the game with an injury in the final minutes.

LSU moves to 9-1 to begin the [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] era and will return to the court on Saturday for a game against Winthrop. Here were the best photos from the win over NC Central.

Instant Analysis: LSU basketball overcomes 20-point deficit to stun Wake Forest in Holiday Hoopsgiving

The Tigers overcame a 20-point first-half deficit to stun Wake Forest on Saturday in Holiday Hoopsgiving.

The Tigers looked like they were heading for a blowout loss in the first half against Wake Forest at Holiday Hoopsgiving in Atlanta. Coach Matt McMahon’s team trailed by as much as 20 in the opening period, but an immaculate second-half comeback flipped the script.

In a tie game in the final seconds, point guard [autotag]Justice Hill[/autotag] made a fantastic move to get to the basket and hit what proved to be the game-winning bucket as the Tigers picked up a marquee non-conference win with a 72-70 victory over the Demon Deacons.

Despite giving up a better than 50% shooting day from Wake, which was led by Florida transfer Tyree Appleby’s 26 points on an 11 of 13 shooting day. But he was overshadowed by LSU’s [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag], who had his best performance of the year, scoring 35 points with 10 rebounds.

[autotag]Cam Hayes[/autotag] scored 13 points, and [autotag]Derek Fountain[/autotag] had 11 as the team shot 48.4% in the second half.

Despite allowing a good shooting day, the Tigers’ defense took advantage of 15 turnovers to score 21 points, and that proved to make the difference in this one.

The win gives LSU its best NET victory of the season heading into the last few games of the non-conference slate. Next up is North Carolina Central on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. CT.

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Instant Analysis: LSU basketball survives another close call against UT Arlington

It was a bit too close for comfort once again, but LSU moved to 7-1 with a win over the Mavericks.

It was a little too close for comfort once again, but LSU moved to 7-1 on the season to begin the [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] era in Baton Rouge with a 63-59 home win over the UT Arlington Mavericks.

Despite a poor shooting performance in the first half — in which the Tigers converted under 40% of their attempts from the field — they still led by seven at the break. But the Mavericks outscored LSU in the second half and led by four after the under-eight timeout.

However, LSU would follow that up with a 14-2 run down the stretch that proved to be enough to stave off the feisty mid-major opponent.

Forward [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag] led the way for LSU in this one, scoring 14 points. [autotag]Adam Miller[/autotag] also scored in double figures for the Tigers with 11 points. Neither team shot particularly well, and UTA was under 40% for the game, though it was better in the second half.

However, LSU turned the ball over 13 times, which helped keep the Mavericks in the game. They may have won if they had taken advantage, but they only netted seven points from those mishaps.

It wasn’t the most inspiring win, but it will have to do for now. LSU has a week to work on its problems before facing a 7-2 Wake Forest team in Atlanta for Holiday Hoopsgiving on Dec. 10.

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Photos from LSU basketball’s tight win over Wofford

Here were the best photos from Sunday’s tight win over Wofford, which moved LSU to 6-1 in Matt McMahon’s debut season.

The Tigers narrowly moved to 6-1 on Sunday afternoon, defeating a good Wofford team in close fashion with a 78-75 win.

[autotag]Adam Miller[/autotag] had another huge game offensively for the Tigers, notching 26 points, while forward [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag] finished with 15 points and five rebounds. It was an excellent shooting day for the Tigers in general as they finished above 50% for the day.

Despite a good shooting performance from the Terriers, as well, it wasn’t enough to win this game on the road. LSU returns to the court on Friday night to take on UT Arlington at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Here were the best photos from Sunday’s win for Matt McMahon and his team.

Monster game from Adam Miller lifts LSU men’s basketball past Wofford

The Tigers narrowly avoided back-to-back losses on Sunday afternoon.

The Tigers narrowly avoided a second-straight loss in their return home against Wofford on Sunday afternoon.

The Terriers led this game by as much as five and held a one-point lead with under three minutes to play, but a late 10-0 run helped seal a 78-75 win over Wofford as LSU moves to 6-1 on the season.

[autotag]Adam Miller[/autotag] led the way for the team with 26 points, tying a season-high. [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag] also scored in double figures with 15 points and five rebounds, while [autotag]Trae Hannibal[/autotag] scored 12 points coming off the bench. It was an excellent shooting day for the Tigers overall, as they finished shooting 52.8% from the field.

The Terriers had a good day offensively, as well, shooting 48.3% for the game and above 50% in the second half — in which they outscored the Tigers. Unfortunately, 13 turnovers proved costly as those mistakes netted LSU 16 points.

Moving forward, the Tigers will have a bit of a break as they will return to the court on Friday night for a game against UT Arlington at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

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LSU falls to Kansas State in Cayman Islands Classic championship after second-half surger

The Tigers’ undefeated start came to an end in the finals at the Cayman Islands Classic.

The Tigers suffered the first loss of the [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] era on Wednesday night as they squandered a halftime lead in a 61-59 loss to Kansas State in the championship of the Cayman Islands Classic.

LSU falls to 5-1 on the season and draws a solid mid-major opponent in Wofford in its next contest on Sunday.

Once again, [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag] led the way scoring for the Tigers. He finished with 17 points on 8 of 13 shooting with 10 rebounds — his first double-double fo he season. [autotag]Justice Hill[/autotag] finished with 12 points, while [autotag]Adam Miller[/autotag] had 11.

It was a solid shooting day for the Tigers, who were 43.4% from the field, but they turned the ball over 17 times with 14 of those coming in the second half. Despite 17 turnovers of their own and a worse shooting performance, the Wildcats managed to take advantage of enough opportunities to win the game.

Markquis Nowell led KSU with 18 points, while Keyontae Johnson — a Florida transfer — scored 16. Desi Sills matched Johnson’s scoring total coming off the bench.

With the Tigers’ undefeated start spoiled, they’ll have to refocus ahead of a home matchup with the Terriers on Sunday at 2 p.m.

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LSU overcomes halftime deficit to beat Akron, advances to Cayman Islands Classic championship

The Tigers trailed by two at the break, but they outscored the Zips by 15 in the second half of the semifinal matchup.

The Tigers struggled at times and found themselves in an early hole, but they ultimately pulled away for a comfortable 73-58 win in the Cayman Islands Classic semifinals on Tuesday over Akron. LSU is now 5-0 on the season to start the [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] era.

This one was tight in the first half, and LSU actually trailed. The Zips led by eight at one point in the final minutes, though the Tigers were able to cut that lead to two by the break.

LSU outscored Akron by 17 in the second half, largely thanks to a 15-point frame from leading scorer [autotag]Adam Miller[/autotag], who had 23 points in total on the day. The Tigers shot 48.1% from the floor, and the offense had a season-low 10 turnovers. [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag] had 19 points and five rebounds, while Justice Hill had a season-high 14 points.

Defensively, it was a great game for the Tigers, who held Akron to 25.9% shooting for the game and 20% in the second half. They forced 14 turnovers, nine of which were steals.

Now, the Tigers move on to the championship, where they will face the winner of Tuesday night’s game between Kansas State and Nevada. That game is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday.

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LSU basketball vs. Akron: Stream, injury report, broadcast info for Game 2 of the Cayman Islands Classic

The Tigers will face the Zips in the winner’s bracket on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. CT.

After a smooth, 77-61 win over Illinois State in which forward [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag] led the team with 33 points, coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] and 4-0 LSU will draw Akron in Game 2 of the Cayman Islands Classic in the winner’s bracket.

The Zips, who enter this game at 3-1 on the season, enter by virtue of a 72-53 win over Western Kentucky in their tournament opener. Otherwise, Akron has tight wins against Morgan State and South Dakota State with its loss coming by 19 points against Mississippi State.

Led by sixth-year coach John Groce, the Zips are coming off a MAC Tournament Championship and appearance in the NCAA Tournament. They lost their first game as a No. 13 seed to No. 4-seeded UCLA.

Here’s what you need to know to follow this one, which tips off at 12:30 p.m. CT.