For a while, it appeared No. 8 seed LSU would be up to the task of knocking out No. 1 seed Michigan in the East Regional Monday in Lucas Oil Stadium at Indianapolis.
The game simply lasted too long for the paper-thin Tigers, who ran out of gas in an 86-78 loss to the Wolverines.
Cam Thomas came out hot, making his first four shots, including a pair of 3-pointers, as LSU took a 17-12 lead. Thomas scored 12 straight points for the Tigers early on.
Once again, LSU was switching all ball screens defensively, as the Tigers did against St. Bonaventure.
It worked initially but not for long.
In a game of runs, LSU led 30-21 with 7:24 to play in the half.
Darius Days picked up his second foul with 6:43 to play in the half and LSU up 30-27.
Michigan got hot in the final eight minutes of the first half behind an unlikely source in Eli Brooks, who would finish with a career high 21 points.
Michigan led 2-0 and did lead again until there were 36.7 seconds left in the half.
LSU went on a drought, not scoring for 4:04 until Thomas knocked down a 16-footer as the first half ended. The Tigers missed eight straight shots before Thomas finally got one to fall.
The Wolverines went on a 14-6 run to close the first half to take a 43-42 lead at the half.
Michigan got what it wanted, shooting 57.1 percent from the field (16-of-28).
LSU was clean in the first half, committing no turnovers.
Thomas, Trendon Watford, Ja’Vonte Smart and Darius Days combined for all 42 points. No one else scored for LSU in the half. Thomas led LSU with 19 points.
While the LSU bench did not score, Michigan reserves scored 11 points.
LSU was 16-of-39 (41%) from the field in the first half.
LSU committed its first turnover with 15:42 to play in the game as Smart tried to pass a ball through his legs backward to a teammate who was not looking.
LSU went on an 8-0 run to take a 51-45 lead.
The Wolverines answered with a 10-0 run to tie the game 55-51.
The Tigers promptly answered with a 7-0 run to lead 58-55 with 11:53 to play in the game.
Michigan went on a 9-0 run to take a 67-63 lead with 8:36 to play in the game. The Wolverines would not trail again.
Thomas and Smart did all they could to give LSU a chance.
Thomas finished with 30 points, though he made just three of 10 shots in the second half. He scored at least 15 points for the 19th straight game.
Smart had 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Thomas and Smart combined for 57 of the 78 LSU points.
Watford was not good enough on this night, scoring 11 points, going just 4-for-11 from the field and just 3-of-8 from the free throw line. He scored just three points in the second half.
Days was not good enough, either. LSU lost just one game all season when Days scored 10 points or more. He scored just six against the Wolverines.
LSU got absolutely nothing from anyone else.
Aundre Hyatt, who had his best game against St. Bonaventure, scored two points.
The LSU bench, consisting of two players, had just two points. The Michigan bench outscored the Tigers 26-2. There is your game.
The Tigers ended up shooting just 39.7 percent from the field while Michigan, which defends much better than LSU, shot 53.8 percent from the field.
The Tigers were whipped 37-29 on the boards, another telling statistic which helped determine the outcome.
Michigan shared the ball to the tune of 22 assists. Keep in mind that the Wolverines played without star Isaiah Livers, who is out injured.
LSU and its isolation, one-on-one offense, had just eight assists on 27 made shots.
LSU went as far as it was supposed to go.
The Tigers were a good, not outstanding team, with three good, sometimes very good players.
You have likely seen the last of Thomas, Smart and Watford in purple and gold. Look for all to depart for the NBA draft.
What will LSU look like next year? There was little or nothing on the bench waiting to play.
Will Wade will have to do his best recruiting job yet, if he is still the coach of the Tigers next year.
The first part of that statement will be tough. The second part of that statement now becomes the focus.
The Link LonkMarch 23, 2021 at 08:43AM
https://crescentcitysports.com/lsu-fights-hard-runs-out-of-gas-against-michigan-in-ncaa-tournament/
LSU fights hard, runs out of gas against Michigan in NCAA Tournament - crescentcitysports.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=hard&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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