GAMENIGHT BLOG: Men’s BB vs. Tennessee

LSU squares off against the Vols (on ESPN2)

By BEN LOVE & KIRK GAUTHIER
Tiger Rag Editor & Hoops Contributor to Tiger Rag

Welcome to the House that Pete Built for a nationally televised game between LSU (9-12, 0-7) and the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers (16-4, 4-2).

Tennessee has rebounded extremely well in the past six or seven games following the loss of senior F Tyler Smith. Relying on a fast-paced tempo which speeds the opponent up, UT stands third in the SEC East behind conference juggernaut Kentucky and the ever-improving Vanderbilt Commodores.

LSU enters tonight looking to end a seven-game skid (all in SEC play) and to win for the first time in a month. The Tigers last win came on Jan. 4 vs. McNeese St.

LSU starts Bo Spencer at the point, Aaron Dotson at shooting guard, Tasmin Mitchell at the three, and Dennis Harris and Storm Warren in the frontcourt.

Tennessee counters with Renaldo Woolridge, Bobby Maze, Wayne Chism, J.P Prince and Scotty Hopson.

First Half, 11:57 Remaining
Tennessee 11 - LSU 5

Tennessee comes out very sloppy with the basketball turning the ball over on back to back possessions in the game’s opening two minutes. Spencer capitalized with consecutive layups. He looks a lot more enthused tonight under the bright lights of ESPN.

Tennessee has really turned up the man to man pressure. The Tigers are having a hard time getting into there offensive sets during the first five minutes of the game.

After a decent start shooting from the field, LSU has cooled down. Most noticeably, Taz has had several open looks from deep rim in and out. The Vols are making it tough for LSU to find open looks.

Chris Beattie and Garrett Green have been two of the Tigers first players off the bench.

The cold shooting from the floor has continued for both teams. At the 11:57 mark the Tigers are 2-for-11 from the field while the Vols are 3-for-10.

Halftime
Tennessee 26 - LSU 16

Signs of life from Garrett Green! The reserve forward swatted veteran Wayne Chism’s shot away on the baseline near the 11:10 mark. As irony would have it, Chism tossed Green’s offering the next time LSU came down the floor. Eye for an eye, block for a block.

Tennessee’s poor shooting is the only thing keeping the Tigers in this game. The Vols have really locked down the Tigers on D, holding the score to 17-8 at the 7:19 mark. The Bayou Bengals, of course, are returning the favor. Neither team is shooting above 30 percent three-quarters of the way through the first stanza. Also at this point, LSU is 0-for-5 from deep, continuing a season-long problem in this department.

Nearly two and a half minutes of gametime elapse between LSU points. Storm Warren connected on a lay-in around the 6:28 mark. The team hadn’t put a mark on the scoreboard since he put in a free-throw with 8:51 to go in the half. Another lengthy spell came and went before the next make, a Spencer triple with 3:20.

Chism especially has been a force on the defensive end for UT, tallying two blocks leading up to the 3:30-mark. It’s been suffocating for LSU inside.

Spencer made two threes in a row near the 2-minute mark, bring his haul on the night up to 10. Good to see him back to his stellar form of 2008-09.

The Tigers finish the first half the same way they started, shooting a low percentage from the field and turning the ball over on back to back possessions. If they have any chance of getting back into this game there gonna have to start crashing the boards. Speeding up the tempo would also help the Tigers get some quick points before the Vols’ defense is set.

Interesting stats from the first half: Tennessee shot 30 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from deep while LSU shot 24 percent overall and only 18.2 percent from three.

Taz hasn’t made a field goal yet, registering only one free throw.

The two teams are a combined 5-for-22 from behind the arc.

Second Half, Remaining 11:47
Tennessee 43 - LSU 33

With 18:36 to go in the second half Taz Mitchell has finally notched his first field goal of the game.

The Vols have started to heat up from the floor shooting 80 percent to start the second half (at the 15:48 mark).

The Tigers have had a hard time finding second-half points. Taz has two buckets and Aaron Dotson sprinkled in some free throws. But, aside from those rare chances, it’s been tough sledding. This was highlighted by a Bo Spencer behind-the-head shot when he came into traffic with just over 13 minutes left to play. LSU will need to stop forcing tough shots if they want to solve this Vols’ D.

Spencer responded from the horrible attempt listed above with a nice three-point play at the 11:47 mark to move LSU within 11 at 43-32.

At the under-12 minute break, LSU brought out Jackie Maravich to honor Pete and the 40th anniversary of the Pistol becoming the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history. The Tigers could sure use a scorer like Pete tonight (half the scorer Pete was, at that matter).

End of Regulation
Tennessee 59 - LSU 54

The Vols have really stopped the Tigers momentum with two inbound plays resulting in two easy layups around the nine minute mark. They were both wide-open looks for Bruce Pearl’s men, who diagrammed one of the plays coming out of a time out. Good coaching from a former SEC Coach of the Year. He makes two of those in the building tonight as LSU head man Trent Johnson won it last season.

LSU can’t seem to put a dent in the UT lead. The Vols have maintained an eight to 14 point lead since they led by ten at the half.

The Tigers - with seven minutes left to go - have trotted out the following lineup: Taz, Bo, Darren Populist, Garrett Green and Chris Beattie. Not sure where the offense is supposed to come from …

As I typed that, Darren Populist popped a three with just about 6:30 remaining to cut the lead to 51-43. The PMAC is coming to life!

Coach Johnson is getting more comfortable with giving Populist minutes. He seems to be eating into Chris Bass’ normal time.

UT is giving LSU chances to get back into this one late, refusing to slam the door with dagger three opportunities. With 3:55 to go, Spencer hit two free throw to make the score 53-45. A layup from Taz the next trip down cut the lead to six. After several sloppy offensive sets for both teams, Spencer hit two more free throws at the 2:29 mark to bring the score to 54-49. Fever pitch from the PMAC … quieted by Chism, who laid in an easy deuce for his 19th and 20th points of the night.

A missed leaning runner from Spencer with about a minute left virtually ended it. UT took the board and burnt the clock at the other end, until Prince was fouled with 34.1 seconds left. Prince would have his attempt rattle out. And then, on the other end of the court, Taz got bailed out on a three-point attempt when the whistle went tweet. Three free throws: Good, Good and Good. The score: UT 55 - LSU 54. Money from the senior.

Populist fouled Maze on the inbounds pass and more shots from the charity stripe ensued. Maze connected on both and the lead was again three.

LSU’s last chance … a Taz bomb from three … no good. And that was it.