Missouri St. @ Louisiana State preview

Attacking the rim paid dividends for LSU in a victory over Rhode Island on Sunday, and the Tigers will look to build off that performance in the Jamaica Classic when it hosts Missouri State on Friday. LSU bounced back from a two-point loss to Utah State in its first game in Jamaica to down Rhode Island 96-83, scoring 54 points in the paint and 53 in the second half as sophomore forward Emmitt Williams finished with 27 overall.

Williams connected on 12-of-17 from the field in setting a career high in points while adding nine rebounds, and the Tigers got 16 points apiece from sophomore forward Darius Days and freshman forward Trendon Watford. “We’ve got to keep playing inside-out like that, attacking the paint,” LSU coach Will Wade told reporters after Sunday’s victory. “We did a much, much better job of that (Sunday).” It was an encouraging response for the Tigers after blowing a 19-point lead in the second half against Utah State, spoiling senior guard Skylar Mays career-high 30 points on 10-for-13 shooting. The Bears wrap up a five-game road swing Friday and play their first road contest against a SEC program in nine seasons, five days after a 75-74 loss to Buffalo in the Charleston Classic.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, No TV

ABOUT MISSOURI STATE (3-4): Senior guard Keandre Cook leads the Bears in scoring at 16.9 points, shooting 39 percent from 3-point range, and senior forward Lamont West is averaging 10.4 points on 40 percent shooting from behind the arc. Senior forward Tulio Da Silva averages 9.4 points and a team-best 8.7 rebounds, pulling down 29 rebounds in three games in the Charleston Classic. Junior forward Gaige Prim won Missouri Valley Conference newcomer of the week after averaging 19.3 points in the Charleston Classic on 61.5 percent shooting from the field.

ABOUT LSU (4-2): The Tigers are averaging 82.7 points, fourth in the SEC and tied for 31st nationally in scoring offense through Wednesday, and have recorded at least 75 in each of their first six games. Mays is fifth in the SEC in scoring at 18.7 and ranks fourth in the league in steals per game at 2.17. Three Tigers are in the top 10 in the SEC in field goal percentage - Days (first) at 64 percent, Williams (tied for second) at 63 percent and Mays (ninth) at 56.5 percent - and LSU is second in the league and 22nd nationally in shooting from the floor (50.1).

TIP-INS

1. The Tigers are second in the SEC and 21st nationally in rebounding margin entering Thursday, outrebounding opponents by an average of 9.7.

2. LSU is averaging 41.8 rebounds per game, second in the SEC and 34th in the nation.

3. Mays averaged 22 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the two games at the Jamaica Classic.

PREDICTION: LSU 86, Missouri State 67