BATON ROUGE — The LSU men’s basketball team still looking for a win or two that could possibly send them to postseason play, opens its final home stand of the 2002 season, hosting Georgia in a 3 p.m. game at the Maravich Assembly Center.
The game will be regionally televised in the Southeast by Jefferson Pilot Sports (WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge). The radio broadcast in Louisiana will be available on the LSU Sports Network (Eagle 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge) and on the Internet at www.LSUsports.net. Tickets for the contest will be on sale beginning 90 minutes prior to tipoff at the Maravich Assembly Center box office.
LSU enters the game with a 14-12 overall mark, 4-9 in the SEC, while Georgia comes in ranked 18th in the country with a record of 19-7 and 8-5. Georgia has had a week off to prepare for the game after downing Kentucky, 78-69, last Saturday in Athens.
The Tigers are coming off a 66-53 loss at South Carolina on Wednesday in a game with 13 first half lead changes and one that LSU was just three down in entering the final five minutes. All tat, despite the fact that leading scorer Ronald Dupree was held to just six points.
“I thought our team played extremely hard against South Carolina,” said LSU coach John Brady. “I thought we did some good things. I think South Carolina just played better than we did for a longer period of time. Our team played hard and did some good things, but our hard play and good defending negates itself if we can’t score baskets.”
The last time LSU was at home, 10 days ago, the Tigers were able to score and beat Mississippi State in overtime. Like that game, the Tigers may have to go again without Collis Temple III who reinjured his ankle against South Carolina. He did not practice with the team Thursday or Friday and his status is questionable at best.
Leading Georgia is Atlanta sophomore Jarvis Hayes, who is averaging 18.0 points per game, while Ezra Williams comes in scoring at a 17.3 points per game clip.
LSU’s final home game of the 2002 season is Wednesday when the Tigers play host to Ole Miss at 7 p.m.