Field Level Media
Nov 16, 2019
Darius Days and Emmitt Williams had double-doubles as No. 23 LSU bounced back from a loss to defeat visiting Nicholls State 75-65 on Saturday in Baton Rouge, La.
Days had 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Williams had 11 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman Trendon Watford added 17 points, and Skylar Mays scored a team-high 18 for the Tigers (2-1), who likely will fall out of the AP Top 25 after losing at VCU 84-82 on Wednesday night.
LSU had a 45-27 rebounding advantage and shot 50 percent, although it made just 3 of 18 3-point attempts. Nicholls State shot just 38.7 percent from the field.
Those advantages enabled the Tigers to offset 25 turnovers, one fewer than they had against VCU, the most in Will Wade's three seasons as coach.
Dexter McClanahan scored 20, and D'Angelo Hunter added 15 for the Colonels (2-2), who lost in overtime at Illinois and won at Pitt to start a challenging early-season schedule.
Nicholls led by one point at halftime and there were three lead changes and two ties during the first 3:38 of the second half. LSU's Charles Manning Jr. made a 3-pointer to break the tie and start a 10-0 run.
The Colonels scored the next five points to get within 58-53 midway through the second half.
Mays scored four points to help LSU rebuild the lead to 11 points.
Nicholls got within six with 4:54 to go, but Days scored four points and Mays scored on a layup to give the Tigers a 73-61 lead with 2:11 remaining.
The Tigers had success scoring inside at the outset, opening a 15-9 lead. McClanahan later led a Nicholls run, scoring 10 points as the Colonels took a 29-21 lead.
Nicholls led by eight on two more occasions before the Tigers made a 9-0 run to take a 37-36 lead. McClanahan snapped the run by making a 3-pointer that helped the Colonels take a 39-38 halftime lead.
--Field Level Media