TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The LSU Tigers, still searching for the answers to the struggles of the past week, have their work cut out for them Saturday night when they take on nationally-ranked Alabama before what is expected to be a near sell-out crowd in Coleman Coliseum.
The Tigers-Tide game will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Network (Eagle 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge) and on the Internet at www.LSUsports.net. College Sports Southeast will televise the game on a tape-delayed basis on Sunday at 9 a.m.
The Tigers are coming off back-to-back home losses to Arkansas (59-52) and South Carolina (68-56) in which the Tigers struggled offensively to complete possessions in a positive manner. LSU had 21 turnovers in the game against South Carolina and has struggled in the last several games trying to maintain a positive assist-to-turnover ratio.
LSU will go with its normal starting five of guards Torris Bright, Jermaine Williams and Collis Temple, along with forwards Brian Beshara and Ronald Dupree.
Dupree is tied with Rod Grizzard of Alabama for the league scoring lead at 18.1 points per game, while Erwin Dudley of the Tide leads the league in rebounding at 9.4 rebounds a contest, just ahead of Dupree’s 9.1 average.
Alabama won the earlier meeting on Jan. 6 at the Maravich Assembly Center by a score of 82-73, as the Tide dominated the second half after LSU lost senior guard Lamont Roland with a torn ACL in the final minute of the first half of the contest. Dupree was the big scorer for the Tigers with 21 points and 13 rebounds, hitting 7-of-12 field goal attempts. Collis Temple added 18 points and Brian Beshara 13.
Rod Grizzard had an 8-of-16 night from the field, scoring 23 to pace the Tide, with Erwin Dudley adding 14, Terrance Meade 13 and Terrance Martin 10.
In the last game, LSU shot 47.1 percent from the field, while the Tide, paced by a 56 percent shooting performance in the second half, shot 51.7 percent for the game. LSU did out rebound the Tide, 39-30.
LSU has an overall record of 11-7, 1-6 overall while the West-leading Crimson Tide is 16-4 overall and 5-3 in the West.
LSU will stay on the road Wednesday to face Ole Miss at 7 p.m. in Oxford.