Field Level Media
Nov 12, 2021
Reserve Tari Eason compiled 17 points and 10 rebounds, Darius Days added 17 points and LSU used a dominant second half to beat Texas State 84-59 on Friday night in Baton Rouge, La.
Alex Fudge added 14 points from the Tigers' bench, which outscored its Texas State counterparts 43-13.
Brandon Murray added 14 for LSU (2-0), which faced a much bigger challenge than it had in winning its season opener against Louisiana-Monroe 101-39.
Isiah Small scored 13, Caleb Asberry added 12 and Mason Harrell had 11 to lead the Bobcats (1-1), who opened their season with a 75-57 road victory against Incarnate Word.
The Tigers shot 53.8 percent from the floor and held the Bobcats to 40 percent shooting. LSU hit 10 of 18 3-point attempts while Texas State was 6 of 18 from long distance.
The visitors led by five at halftime, but Eason scored four points as the Tigers began the second half with an 11-4 run to grab a 43-41 lead.
The Bobcats tied the score briefly before Murray and Eric Gaines responded with 3-pointers.
Texas State scored the next four points, but Murray scored five points during an 11-0 run that gave LSU take a 60-47 lead midway through the half.
The Bobcats continued to struggle on offense and couldn't get the margin into single digits the rest of the game.
The Tigers kept expanding the lead outscored Texas State 52-22 in the second half.
Asberry made a 3-pointer and Shelby Adams and Small sank consecutive baskets as Texas State, the Sun Belt Conference regular-season champion last season, took a 14-8 lead.
A 6-0 run allowed LSU to pull even at 16.
The score was tied twice more before Days' jumper gave the Tigers a two-point lead.
Asberry, Dylan Dawson and Small made consecutive 3-pointers to give the Bobcats a 30-23 lead.
Texas State was up by eight before Xavier Pinson's three-point play in the final minute got LSU within 37-32 heading into halftime.
--Field Level Media