LSU Handles Kansas State in Road Opener, 76-65 – LSU

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The LSU men’s basketball team showed maturity, patience and the ability to score both inside and outside in an impressive 76-65 victory over Kansas State on Thursday night at Bramlage Coliseum.

The Tigers came away with a win in a sand-road game to start road play for the first time since Nov. 26, 2005, when LSU beat No. 13 in West Virginia. It was LSU’s first non-conference road win at any point in its schedule since the 2020 season, when the Tigers beat Texas in Austin in the SEC/Big 12 Basketball Challenge.

“That’s what you come to places like LSU, to play in these types of environments,” LSU Head Coach Matt McMahon said. “I thought our guys really delivered in every area of ​​the game. In the first half. I thought the unselfishness and ball movement on offense was great, 13 assists on 17 made baskets. We were effective there. But I really thought for 40 minutes. We guarded. We were really worried coming in. They had zero points in the nation the transition.

“We wanted to defend the three-point line. They’re shooting 43 percent as a team. We’re holding them to 5-21 there from behind the arc. And then I just thought we had a dominant performance on the glass, you know, plus 18 on the glass and just a strong performance. I thought our players really competed and that’s what you want as a coach. Totally connected team effort tonight.”

Kansas State transfer Cam Carter led LSU with 20 points — hitting three threes — while guard Jordan Sears also knocked down three treys in scoring 15 points with seven rebounds and five assists. LSU freshman Vyctorius Miller came off the bench for 15 points with two three-pointers, while Daimion Collins made all five of his field goal attempts to score 12 points. Corey Chest led the Tigers with 13 rebounds in 21 minutes of action.

Carter gave the Tigers the lead for good at the 9:10 mark of the first half with a three-pointer that put LSU up 23-21. That started a 9-0 run that gave LSU a 27-21 advantage with 8:04 left before halftime. LSU moved the ball effectively on offense, rebounded on both ends and stopped K-State’s attempts to get back into the game.

Up 27-24, the Tigers went on a 12-0 run that pushed the lead to 39-24 on a Sears three-pointer with 3:59 left in the first half. LSU led by as many as 17 in the opening 20 minutes and led 43-31 at halftime.

The Tigers stopped any Kansas State run in the second half as the Wildcats cut the margin to 10 points twice in the first four minutes and nine at 49-40 with 14:28 left. But LSU scored the next seven points to get the lead back to 16, and the Wildcats never got the game under single digits the rest of the way.

Kansas State was led by David N’Guessan and Dug McDaniel with 16 points each.

LSU shot 50 percent from the field (27-of-54), including eight treys and 14-of-18 from the free throw line. LSU had 19 assists on the 27 made buckets. More importantly, the Tigers outrebounded Kansas State 43-25, including 11-8 on the offensive glass. The Tigers posted 16 second-chance points in the game.

Kansas State was held to just 37.7 percent (23-of-61) including 5-of-21 from three-point range and 14-of-20 at the free throw line. The Wildcats turned it over just seven times. The teams were tied in points at 34-34, and K-State held a 14-13 advantage in points off turnovers.

The Tigers return home for a game Tuesday night at 19 CT against Charleston Southern at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.