BATON ROUGE – Seven players poured in double figures to fuel the LSU men’s basketball team to a balanced attack and an impressive 96-74 season-opening victory over Nicholls State Saturday at the Maravich Center.
The Tigers (1-0) improved to 85-19 in season openers, including 16 consecutive home wins dating back to the 1996-97 campaign.
LSU reached the 90-point plateau for the fifth time in the Trent Johnson era, the previous four efforts came during 2008-09 SEC Championship season. The Tigers also connected on 11-of-24 from three-point territory and a crisp 25-of-31 at the free throw line.
The freshmen trio of Anthony Hickey, John Isaac and Johnny O’Bryant III showcased their talents during their LSU debuts. Hickey poured in 14 points to go along with game-highs five assists and four steals. Isaac, who was 4-for-6 shooting, tallied 11 of his 13 points during the second half. O’Bryant III came away with a strong all-around effort en route to 12 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
LSU also received 12 points apiece from Andre Stringer and Ralston Turner. Stringer canned a trio of three-balls and dished out four assists, while Turner notched six of his points from the foul line. Justin Hamilton collected 11 points and distributed four assists against zero turnovers. Storm Warren tacked on 10 points and hauled in seven rebounds for the Tigers.
Down 16-12 with 12:52 remaining in the first half, LSU bagged four consecutive triples to grab the momentum and ignite a 23-8 run over the next 4:56. Hamilton, Hickey and Turner provided six points each during the spurt as the Tigers built a 35-21 edge at the 7:56 mark.
LSU maintained the momentum and carried a 51-40 advantage into the locker room. It marked the fourth time in the Johnson era that the Tigers have racked up over 50 points in a half.
Nicholls (0-1) got as close as 77-67 on a Trevon Lewis three-pointer with 5:57 left, but LSU exploded for 19 of the next 21 points capped by an Eddie Ludwig triple for its largest lead, 96-69, at the 2:10 mark. The Colonels had three players in double figures highlighted by Lewis’ 19 points on 7-of-8 from the floor.
LSU opens up a four-game road swing Tuesday at Coastal Carolina. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. CT and the game will be carried live on 100.7 FM (The Tiger) in the Baton Rouge area. Kevin Ford and Ricky Blanton will call the action on the LSU Sports Radio Network.
LSU vs. Nicholls
November 12, 2011
HEAD COACH TRENT JOHNSON
Opening statement…
“Obviously the kids were looking forward to playing someone else other than themselves, but overall our intensity was very good. The impact the three freshmen had as well as the returnees, in terms of being a cohesive unit, was very impressive. Any time you have seven guys in double figures and have assist-to-turnover ratio where you have 20 and nine and out rebound a team the way we did, I think it’s good for this basketball team. There were periods there in the first half and even in the second half where I thought we stayed aggressive as opposed to being tentative or playing afraid. It was a good win for us and we will come back out tomorrow at 3:30 and practice, and get ready to leave on Monday and prepare to play a very good Coastal Carolina team.”
On the three freshmen and what he expected…
“Again, it is what I have seen in practice. Anthony (Hickey) did a good job of taking care of the ball. There was a couple of times when he tried to get cute and find a guy when we were up 15, but like I said, this team has been pretty consistent in terms of what they show you in practice and what they show in scrimmages. For me, it was nice to see people in the stands. When I say ‘people in the stands,’ I think we need to acknowledge the support we had today. It was extremely good. Obviously, it is homecoming week and there are a lot of things going on, and I think our fanbase understands the impact that they have on these kids. These kids want to play for this school and they do want to get this program back to where it used to be on a consistent level. That was really nice to see.”
On how the freshmen handled the game emotionally…
“I thought the group was ready to go around 8:00 a.m. There was a time when I thought I might need to slow them down. The game is at 12 and they are shooting shots around 9:00 a.m., but that is what you want and expect. I think most of them handled it well. I think Anthony’s on-the-court demeanor is really good. He communicates well with me. You can talk to him and he has a pretty good feel on what is going on. As for John (Isaac), I think he has a chance to be a very good defender. He is never afraid to take the shot, and he is never afraid to guard somebody, which is a plus.”
FORWARD JOHNNY O’BRYANT III
On the newcomer contributions…
“I think all together we are athletic and we hustle. Anthony (Hickey) is a great passer and he is a great point guard. John (Isaac) is great defensively and hustles to knock down shots. I, myself, bring the post presence, I can rebound and as you can see, I blocked a couple of shots today. I think we all bring some more athleticism to the team.”
On coming off the bench and quick start…
“It was great. I wish it would have never ended. I wish my streak could have stretched out to be 16 or 20 points, but it was great especially it being my first time out on the floor.”
GUARD RALSTON TURNER
On this team compared to last year’s…
“It is a lot easier this year. There is a lot more depth inside now. With guys like Johnny (O’Bryant), Justin (Hamilton), Storm (Warren) and Malcolm (White), you notice that we were able to do a lot of kicking it in and out and it gave us a lot of shots. To answer your question, it helps a lot.”
Nicholls Head Coach J.P. Piper
Opening statement…
“I was really proud of our team. I knew this game could get out-of-hand early and to have it at a 10-point margin with six minutes left to play, with a depleted bench and so many young players on the floor, I couldn’t be any prouder. I couldn’t have scripted it any better. I wish the final margin was a little bit closer, but I told our guys there is nothing to be embarrassed about. That is a good basketball team, well coached, they guard hard, they don’t give you anything easy. We fought and competed. That’s all I wanted. We will be fine by the time we get to league play. The overriding concern for me right now is that we teach, grow and learn so that when January gets here we are ready to go compete in the Southland Conference. “
On the play of the team…
“I thought Lachlan Prest and Chris Talkington shot the ball really well. Overall we made shots; If we can learn how to be a good defensive team, develop a defensive identity and continue to make shots we will continue to find ourselves in games. We are going to present problems to people if we can stretch the floor like that by making three-pointers, especially when you’re big men are making then. The game was very promising. I thought we had some great defensive moments today. There were times we were on a string, and everybody was moving together. There was no place for the ball to go, we had everything covered. There was also too many times it didn’t happen tonight. They made some tough shots in the second half, and their post players were making it from 15-feet falling back with a hand in their face. Guys at our level don’t do that consistently They did it today and hats off to them. That is a good ball club, and under Coach Johnsons’ direction they will continue to improve. They will surprise some teams in their league. They are very talented, and I thought we did all we could do to give ourselves a chance to win. It just fell apart on us a little late. I couldn’t be prouder of our group.”
On the upcoming game against Tulane…
“I think Tulane, like LSU, is going to want to pound it inside on us. We have to work on post defense. Hopefully Sam (McBeath) is back in the lineup, and that may change our starting lineup. It is a different type of team in terms of their offense philosophy. It isn’t about winning or losing for us right now. We need to continue to progress, improve and get better. It is all looking towards January when we start league play.”