It quickly became a night to forget for this LSU basketball squad after falling to Texas A&M 69-56 Saturday night in College Station.
Despite Cam Hayes getting into a rhythm early, his teammates struggled to get shots to drop, with the Tigers shooting just 28.6% from the field in the first half.
Meanwhile, the Aggies led by Dexter Dennis, controlled the pace through the first 20 minutes with Dennis totaling 15 points of his own.
Here are the quick hits from Saturday night:
Dexter Dennis Takes Over First Half
Dennis handled business on Saturday in what could very well be his best game as an Aggie. With 15 points in the first half on 5-of-6 from the field and 2-of-3 from three, it was a masterclass performance from the Louisiana native to suck the air out of the Tigers from the jump.
Along with a solid offensive showing, Dennis also got it done on defense. Tallying three steals that led to buckets, it was a two-way performance. Each time it appeared the Tigers could make it a game, it was the Wichita State transfer who came up clutch on both ends of the floor.
It became evident Dennis was taking this game personally from the jump. A Baton Rouge native playing against his hometown squad was a recipe for him to turn it up a notch and have his best game as an Aggie.
LSU’s Paint Presence Nonexistent
It’s been the story of LSU’s season thus far. Aside from Hannibal forcing himself inside, the Tigers have struggled to make it happen in the paint. Relying on their three-ball and having a shootout isn’t the game plan for this team, halting any success for LSU early then carrying over to the second half
LSU shot just 28.6% from three in the first half and it certainly didn’t get much better come the final 20 minutes. For Texas A&M, the Aggies made it happen with their paint touches. Shooting nearly 50% on their two-point attempts, it was an efficient showing for this unit.
The Tigers had one of those nights in College Station on Saturday. With a lid on the rim, LSU was unable to convert on opportunities they hit 9 times out of 10 on any other night, but working the ball inside must be the top priority moving forward as opposed to relying on the triple.
Defensive Struggles
LSU has proven they have the resources to be a physically dominant defensive squad. With Derek Fountain manning that end of the floor with perimeter weapons in Trae Hannibal and Adam Miller, the Tigers have the bodies to handle business on defense.
Saturday night didn’t show that. Allowing Texas A&M to get just about everything they wanted on offense, LSU struggled to get stops. With their defensive efforts taking the life out of them, it carried over to their offensive performance.
It had a trickling effect down the totem pole against the Aggies. Once LSU had the chance to get back into the game and cut the lead to single digits, the lack of defensive effort leading to an easy Aggie bucket took the life right out of this unit.
Final Thoughts
Learning experiences. Gaining continuity. Time to grow. All three were a given coming into this season and games like Saturday night in College Station will only help the Tigers moving forward.
It was always going to take time, and despite a big win against Arkansas last week looking as though it could set the tone for this season, there is still significant room to improve for the Tigers.
LSU will be back in action on Tuesday when they host the Florida Gators with tip set for 6 p.m.
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