By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU again sleep walked to start a game, fell behind by 20 points, came back, but the hole was far too big, and the Tigers fell at No. 11 Vanderbilt, 84-73, in Nashville on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers (12-4) fell to 0-3 to start the Southeastern Conference for the second straight season. Vanderbilt (15-0, 2-0 SEC) led by 20 in the first half at 37-17 with 8:09 left before holding a 52-38 advantage at the break.
LSU climbed to within 59-52 midway in the second half, but could never get within striking distance. It was a similar narrative Tuesday when the Tigers fell behind by 24-5 to South Carolina at home, clawed back into the game, but lost 78-68.
LSU has won its last two second halves, but the deficits were too large to overcome.
“It’s not going to happen here at Vanderbilt,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said of a comeback. “We allowed them to get out in transition from turnovers and not converting in the first half. They got out in the open floor. Once we settled in, we guarded well enough and got back into the game.”
But it was too late.
LSU freshman point guard Jalen Reece again struggled for injured starting junior point guard Dedan Thomas Jr., who missed his third straight game with a lower leg injury. Reece scored just six points on 2-of-9 shooting and managed only two assists.
Thomas was at the game and is no longer using crutches or a walking boot.
“It’s not coach-speak, but he’s still day-to-day,” McMahon said. “He’s made incredible strides. A week ago, he couldn’t walk. He’s been spending 15 to 16 hours a day in the training room. We’ll see how quickly he can come back.”
LSU hosts Kentucky (9-6, 0-2 SEC) at 6 p.m. Tuesday on the SEC Network. The Wildcats host Mississippi State (10-5, 2-0 SEC) on Saturday (7:30 p.m., SEC Network).
Wing guard Max Mackinnon led LSU with 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including 3 of 6 from three-point range. Forward Marquel Sutton added 13 points with six rebounds. Center Mike Nwoko’s play also badly hurt the Tigers as he scored only six points with seven rebounds in just 22 minutes because of foul trouble. The absence of Thomas – the quarterback of the offense – has led to Nwoko and Sutton not playing as well as when he was in action.
Tyler Tanner led the Commodores with 20 points, and Tyler Nickel put up 20 with 10 rebounds.
Vanderbilt took an 18-point lead at 58-40 in the opening minutes of the second half, but LSU would not go away as it embarked on a 12-1 run to get within 59-52 with 12:54 left on a short jumper by Mackinnon. The Tigers had two chances to get within five or four points after that, but Robert Miller III and Mazi Mosley had back-to-back turnovers.
“And we never could get any closer,” McMahon said.
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