LSU Best in Second Half Again; Beats Florida State in SEC/ACC Challenge, 85-75

LSU vs. Florida State
December 3, 2024

LSU Head Coach Matt McMahon

Opening Statement…
“I’m really proud of our players. Thought their effort was tremendous. Really guarded on the defensive end. Ball security was a huge concern coming in. Florida State [University] is third in the country in forcing turnovers and we were able to limit those to 11. Just thought our guys really competed. Once again, to score 53 points in the second half on a defense that is that disruptive in Florida State is really a credit to our players and we are thankful to get the win. (LSU Forward) Jalen Reed, you saw with the injury a minute and a half in, has a sprained knee and he’ll be evaluated tomorrow and I will have a further update after that testing is complete.”

On how impressed he was with the front court performance after Jalen Reed went down…
“I thought they all contributed to winning. (LSU Forward) Daimion (Collins) really only had one day of practice under his belt coming off the dislocated shoulder and he comes out and blocks four shots, had a couple nice finishes at the goal, gets three offensive rebounds. (LSU Forward) Corey (Chest), once again, I thought he was fantastic defensively and then he gets you 10 rebounds. (LSU Forward) Derek (Fountain), I thought really came in. He was plus three in his segment in the first half. But I’ll tell you, I thought a huge moment in the game; they had cut it back down to four, I believe and (LSU Forward) Robert Miller gets back-to-back offensive rebound put backs and I thought he was fantastic defensively as well. So, I thought that was a big key for us.”

LSU Guard Jordan Sears

On if he plays differently when a bigger guy is against him…
“No, not really. I just play with heart. This is the biggest thing about me. It doesn’t matter if he’s 6’5” or 5’11”, it doesn’t matter to me. I take on the challenge no matter what.”

On preparation and confidence after a win like this…
“We prepare for the whole week. We lock in and watch film, and it’s a credit to us and our coaches as well, giving us a game plan and then we just go out and play basketball. We just play free and have fun.”

LSU Guard Cam Carter

On the team’s approach to attacking their defense…
“It all started with practice. We have got to give credit to our scout team. They prepared us really well for this game. Switching 1 to 5, they put a lot of pressure on us, but we knew how to attack.”

On how he felt from tipoff…
“I told my teammates before the game yesterday that I was on time, but it really comes from God. Playing with confidence is having faith. That’s really it.”

LSU Guard Vyctorius Miller

On the difference between his first and second half…
“First, I want to give thanks to Jesus Christ because I feel like I had a lot of stuff going on. I had an exam and an essay this morning, and all of that stuff plays a part in how I perform. I realized that my team needed me, and they were picking me up when I had a slow first half. That’s what they are here for.”

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Florida State Head Coach Leonard Hamilton

Opening Statement…
“You gotta give LSU credit. I thought that they maintained their composure. I’ve been doing this a long time, and I’m not real sure I’ve seen a team maintain their composure, come out in the second half with a different game, with an adjustment. The first half, because we were switching one through five, I thought they tried to take us off the dribble, get into the lane, and create kick. Our big guys did a pretty good job of containing the dribble, you know, in that instance. So they just backed up. I mean, they backed up and made threes with confidence, but I’m not real sure I can let my players even shoot. That’s a compliment to them.

“They were the best version of who they are, and we didn’t make that same adjustment by moving out a little farther and make them put the ball on the floor- they just backed up. If they can consistently do that night in and night out, they’re gonna be a hard task for a lot of teams that they’re facing. That’s a compliment to them to just make that adjustment. Instead of driving and kicking like they were doing in the first half, they just backed up and that’s a great strategy for the type of team he has. I felt this was a learning experience for us, no doubt about that. We’re a kind of team that needs a full complement of our players hitting on all cylinders to be successful.

“Defensively, I thought that we didn’t attack them as well, especially the second half as they attacked us. We didn’t maintain the same level of poise that they did, and that’s a compliment to them. My hat goes off to them. Coach (McMahon) does a great job, and I think if they can continue to keep getting better and not have those injuries like they had to [Jalen] Reed, I think they’re going to be a real factor in the SEC race.”