LSU men’s basketball defeat Florida State | LSU

Daimion Collins’ pogo-stick jumping ability was mesmerizing on both offense and defense.

The LSU forward sank a seemingly simple layup at the basket in his first game back after dislocating his shoulder on Nov. 22. The 6-foot-2 forward then raced the floor on offense and jumped over everyone else again for a put-back layup after a missed 3-pointer.

He was far from the only energetic player. LSU played with a passion that allowed it to defend its home court against Florida State in the SEC/ACC Challenge, winning 85-75 on Tuesday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Jordan Sears had 21 points and six rebounds. Cam Carter, who leads LSU with 16.7 points per game, finished the game with 26 points and eight rebounds. Freshman Vyctorius Miller had 15 points, extending his double-digit scoring streak to six games.

LSU coach Matt McMahon said Carter “did a little bit of everything” as he played at a fast pace and shot well from the perimeter and the free throw line (8 of 9).

LSU’s win came when Jalen Reed, who averaged 12.4 points and 7.4 rebounds, missed almost the entire game. The starting center sprained his right knee with 18:23 left in the first half. It happened after a layup. The 6- to 10-year-old junior walked to the locker room with help, but was noticeably limping.

In Reed’s absence, Collins was the primary rim protector in his first game back from injury, collecting three blocks.

McMahon said Collins returned to the rotation after his first contact basketball practice since his shoulder injury on Monday.

“(Collins) said he felt good, had no pain and was ready to help the team,” McMahon said. “And that’s why I’m really proud of the work he’s done. He had a great offseason and we are thrilled to have him back.”

Despite the Reed injury, LSU’s start was impressive. The Tigers played their basketball – faster and faster.

The Tigers quickly went downhill after missed shots, even if it didn’t always lead to fast break points. They shared the ball and gained advantages off the bounce after attacking closeouts from Florida State that didn’t have the same aggressiveness.

The LSU defense was also robust. It made things difficult for Florida State’s 6-7 slasher Jamir Watkins, who averaged 17.3 points and 8.3 free throw attempts per game.

The Tigers played hard against the Seminoles’ star winger as he was 2 of 8 in the first half. He finished the game with 13 points on 6 of 19 shooting. Dji Bailey, who had eight points and three steals, was the designated defender for Wakins and McMahon said, “Jamir had to work for every shot he got.”

While LSU’s largest lead was six points in the first half, it felt like it was in control. That changed when the Seminoles stepped up their defense to force turnovers and stagnate LSU’s offense. The Tigers made one of 10 shots once.

The Seminoles were among the top 10 teams in the country in steals per game (11.4) and forced turnovers per game (18.62).

Florida State’s lead at halftime was 35-32 as the team successfully reached the free throw line. In the first 20 minutes, 9 of 13 free throws were made, compared to 5 of 7 for LSU.

The first few minutes of the Tigers’ second half were better than the first half. They sprinted to an 8-0 run and once again pushed the pace tirelessly. That led to a three-pointer and a layup for Carter and a three-pointer by Miller with 18:39 left in the second half.

Carter had 16 points in the second half and Sears 15. Miller’s shooting was also excellent in the half. The California native scored 13 points on 3-of-6 shooting in the final half of basketball.

Florida State coach Leonard praised LSU’s quality.

“We didn’t maintain the same level of poise that they did,” Hamilton said. “That’s a compliment to them, my hat’s off to them.” Coach is doing a great job and I think if they can continue to improve and not suffer the injuries like Reed did, they will be a real force in the SEC -Be a race.”

LSU’s next game is against Florida Gulf Coast in the PMAC on December 8th at 2 p.m.