Louisiana State @ Rhode Island preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 4, 2014 ) Rhode Island 74, Louisiana State 70

LSU will try to bounce back from a brutal loss and salvage something out of its trip to Montego Bay when it faces Rhode Island in a Jamaica Classic matchup Sunday afternoon. The Tigers suffered their second loss of the young season to a mid-major power when they blew a 19-point advantage in the final 16-plus minutes to fall to No. 16 Utah State 80-78 on Friday.

"We played really well. We were prepared," LSU coach Will Wade, whose team also fell to VCU earlier in the season, told the media. "The turnover bug got us again in the second half. ... We lost our composure a little bit. You play a team as good as they are, you got to be able to play for 40 minutes and we played for about 36." LSU returns home following the matchup with the Rams to play four straight on its home floor and doesn't leave Baton Rouge, La. again until a Dec. 21 game against USC in Los Angeles. Rhode Island seeks its fourth consecutive victory after opening its Jamaica Classic stay with a 60-47 win over North Texas on Friday. Junior guard Fatts Russell scored 22 points and the Rams held the Mean Green to 32.7 percent shooting in their best defensive effort of the season.

TV: 2:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

ABOUT LSU (3-2): Senior guard Skylar Mays was not the issue Friday night as he finished with a career-high 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting. Sophomore forwards Darius Days and Emmitt Williams chipped in 14 points apiece and both average 12.8 points on the season, tied for second behind Mays (19.6). Sophomore guard Javonte Smart, a second team preseason selection in the SEC, continued to struggle on the offensive end by going 3-of-14 from the floor, dropping his shooting percentage to 32.0 on the season.

ABOUT RHODE ISLAND (4-1): Russell paces the Rams with 18.2 points and 4.6 assists per game, while senior guard Jeff Dowtin comes in second in scoring at 13.2. Sophomore guard Tyrese Martin (11.4 points) scored a season-high 15 in the win over North Texas and he is 10-for-21 from 3-point range thus far. Senior forward Cyril Langevine hauled in 12 rebounds Friday for his fourth double-digit effort in the category and he entered Saturday 11th in the country at 12 per game.

TIP-INS

1. Russell has at least three steals in each game this season and entered Saturday in the top 10 nationally at 3.6 per contest.

2. Williams chipped in with eight rebounds and career highs of four blocks and three steals Friday night.

3. Rhode Island won the only prior meeting with a 74-70 triumph at Baton Rouge in 2014.

PREDICTION: LSU 74, Rhode Island 69