BATON ROUGE — Jaime Lloreda returned to the LSU lineup and the pre-season All-SEC selection had 30 points, 21 rebounds and four blocks in 37 minutes of play to help the Tigers go to 2-0 on the season with an 87-77 win over McNeese State Monday night at the Maravich Assembly Center.
The Tigers face Troy State on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Baton Rouge.
Also doubling up for the second straight game was freshman Brandon Bass who had 15 points and 12 boards, while Darrel Mitchell broke out of a shooting slump to hit 16 points. McNeese’s Edward Garriet did his best to keep the Cowboys in the game coming off the bench to hit eight treys for 24 points, while Greg Tucker added 21.
Lloreda’s game marks the first time an LSU players has scored 30 points and grabbed 20 rebounds since Shaquille O’Neal had 30 points and 20 rebounds in a February 1992 win over Auburn.
LSU shot 53.8 percent for the game, holding the Cowboys to 36 percent, out rebounding McNeese State (1-1), 55-29.
“Brandon Bass has played two games at LSU and has had a double-double in both games,” said LSU Coach John Brady. “I haven’t had a freshman do that since I have been here. Jaime had 30 points and 21 rebounds. He kind of did what he wanted to do out there. He got tired. I told the team I have got to get some confidence to put them in the game to give Bass and Jaime some rest.
“I don’t know what to say about our team. Sometimes I think we play pretty well and it looks like we are about to separate the score and we make plays that we shouldn’t make.”
McNeese led much of the first 10 minutes, by as much as five, 20-15, at the 10:53 mark. The Tigers made an 8-0 to go ahead 23-20 and never gave up the lead after that going to the dressing room up nine, 41-32.
The Tigers would open up a 13 point advantage in the second half, 54-41, at the 16:06 mark before Garriet hit three treys to cut the LSU lead to one, 56-55, with 13:08 to go. But Lloreda hit two layups to go up 60-55 and Xavier Whipple hit two free throws and Mitchell made a two-pointer and a three-pointer around two McNeese free throws to go back up double figures, 67-57, at the 10:34 mark.
The win ups LSU’s active win streak to seven at home, 48 non-conference regular season home wins and 45 straight wins over Louisiana schools at home.
“It’s like I said against Southern, we were able to win the game. Troy State is going to come in here and they have 26 wins a year ago and won at Arkansas at year ago. We have to improve again and we have one day to prepare. Hopefully, we will be able to do that,” said Brady.