BATON ROUGE — The seventh-ranked LSU men’s basketball team would happy take a repeat of Friday’s opening night performance when they return to the court at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center Sunday at 3 p.m. against the University of Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks.
Tickets for the contest are $11 and are available online at www.LSUsports.net and beginning 90 minutes prior to tipoff at the upper concourse ticket windows at the Maravich Center. Those fans showing a ticket stub from Saturday’s LSU-Ole Miss game will be able to buy an upper level ticket for just $5. Youth tickets for ages 3-12 are $5 in the upper level as well.
The game will be regionally televised by CST and the radio broadcast available as always on the LSU Sports Radio Network (Eagle 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge) and on the internet at www.LSUsports.net in the “Geaux Zone” powered by USAgencies.
LSU (1-0) had a strong performance in the opener against Nicholls State, winning 96-42, as the Tigers shot 58.5 percent, making 31-of-53 field goals, including 11-of-19 three pointers. LSU has also had good success on free throws, making 23-of-26 or 88.5 percent while holding the Colonels to just 20.6 percent (13-of-63). The Tigers also had a 22-board margin in the rebounds, 49-27.
Glen Davis, Darnell Lazare and Garrett Temple all had 16 points to lead LSU, with Tasmin Mitchell adding 14. Lazare also had his first LSU double double has the senior all pulled down a total of 10 boards, a career high.
The Warhawks under second year coach Orlando Early, who spent four years as an assistant for Mark Gottfried at Alabama before coming to ULM, are 2-1 on the season after playing in a three-game tournament at Iowa State. ULM knocked off Eastern Illinois (70-60) and UC Riverside (76-64) with the lost to host Iowa State, 68-40. Tony Hooper and Lance Brasher were named to the all-tournament team from ULM with Hooper’s best game a team-leading 17-point effort against Eastern Illinois, while Brasher had 22 against UC Riverside. In that win, Afam Nweke had 13 rebounds to lead the Warhawks.
“Overall, I felt good about what we were trying to do,” said LSU Coach John Brady about his team after the win. “I thought we played well considering it was the first game.”
Brady did feel there were still obvious things his Tigers need to work on.
“We turned the ball over too much against (Nicholls) zone defense,” Brady said. “I think it is because we rushed a little bit offensively. I think we settled down and put together some good defensive possessions.”
After the game, LSU will have the week to prepare for its next game at the Maravich Center, a Saturday 3 p.m. date with Wichita State, a team that could come in ranked in the top 25 when the new poll comes out. Wichita State went to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet Sixteen a year ago.