BATON ROUGE – The LSU men’s basketball team, on a six-game winning streak, begin the final week of non-conference play with a 6 p.m. game Monday night against Southern Mississippi at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The Tigers are 9-2 on the year having equaled the longest win streak in Coach Johnny Jones‘ three-year tenure at LSU. Southern Miss, losers in the last two games, is 5-5 entering the contest.
Tickets are available at LSUtix.net and fans that bring a canned food item for the Baton Rouge Food Bank on Monday to the upper concourse ticket windows (which open at 4:30 p.m.) will be able to purchase a ticket for $2 for the contest.
Coach Jones is urging people to take advantage of this ticket offer, but more importantly to help provide needed items for the Food Bank.
“We are hoping we have tremendous participation from our fans for the Baton Rouge Food Bank Monday by bringing canned food items to the game,” said Jones. “This time of year is really, really important because the shelves at the Baton Rouge Food Bank are really tested. We want to do everything we can to bring awareness to the Food Bank because it’s so important for us to be able to help and provide.”
The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network (Rich Hollenberg and Dane Bradshaw) and the radio broadcast will be in the Geaux Zone at LSUSports.net and the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network (Ricky Blanton and Kevin Ford, in for Jim Hawthorne).
The game will be carried by these affiliates: Baton Rouge, WDGL (98.1 FM); Alexandria, KSYL (970 AM); Bogalusa, WBOX (92.9 FM); Ferriday, KFNV (107.1 FM); Houma, KJIN (1490 AM); Jena, KJNA (102.7 FM); Lafayette/Opelousas, KLWB (103.7 FM); Lake Charles, KXZZ (1580 AM); Leesville, KJAE (93.5 FM); Monroe, KMLB (540 AM); Morgan City, KFRA (1390 MA); Natchitoches, KWLV (107.1 FM); New Orleans, WWL (870 AM, 105.3 FM); Ruston, KRUS (1490 AM); Shreveport, KWKH (1130 AM); Tallulah, KTJZ (97.5
FM); Tylertown, Mississippi, WFCG (107.3 FM); Ville Platte, KVPI (1050 AM).
The team went home for the holidays after a 71-47 thrashing of the College of Charleston on Monday and returned to practice on the evening of Dec. 26. Coach Jones has been pleased with what he has seen from his Tigers.
“(Practice) has been good for a team that had been off for a few days away and not practicing,” said Jones. “The guys have been really sharp and practice has been really good. It has been as though we haven’t had any time off and that’s a good sign.”
Jones also said that point guard Josh Gray would be available for this game after missing the two games prior to Christmas after suffering a right ankle sprain on Dec. 13.
Southern Miss and LSU are meeting for the first time since 2004 and the seventh time overall with LSU having a 5-1 advantage in the series. Forward Matt Bingaya is seventh in Conference USA, averaging 15.6 points per game. Chip Armelin is averaging 10.3 points per game.
“We’ve got to be ready for a team that has been involved in some very competitive, tough games,” Jones said of Southern Miss. “It has been a layoff for us and we look forward to getting back out there on the floor and hopefully we are able to continue to improve as we get ready for conference play.”
Jarell Martin lead LSU at 16.9 points per game with Jordan Mickey just off averaging a double double with 15.8 points per game and 9.9 rebounds a game. Keith Hornsby (13.5 ppg), Gray (11.1) and Tim Quarterman (10.9) are all averaging in double figure point per game.
LSU, after Monday, plays its final non-conference game on Saturday (Jan. 3) at the Maravich Center against Savannah State.
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