Marquette @ Louisiana State preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 23, 2015 ) Louisiana State 80, Marquette 81

Two teams looking to bounce back from humbling losses meet Wednesday as Marquette faces LSU in the consolation game of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center in Hawaii. Marquette was held to 37.7 percent shooting in Tuesday’s 80-66 loss to No. 6 Wichita State while LSU was overmatched in a 92-53 loss to 12th-ranked Notre Dame.

The Tigers opened the tournament with a 77-75 come-from-behind win over Michigan but were unable to draw on that magic against the Fighting Irish, who shot 52 percent from the field and 15-of-32 from 3-point range. The loss was a costly one for LSU as junior guard Brandon Sampson exited early with a sprained ankle that will keep him out for the next three-to-four weeks. Sampson was averaging 13.3 points, five rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 65.2 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc for the Tigers, who had Brandon Rachal, Randy Onwuasor and Daryl Edwards play in Sampson’s place on Tuesday. The Tigers have struggled on defense through four games and will need an improved effort against Marquette, which boasts three proven shooters in senior Andrew Rowsey and sophomores Markus Howard and Sam Hauser.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT MARQUETTE (2-2): The Golden Eagles opened tournament play with a 94-83 win over VCU and boast one of the top backcourts in the nation in Howard and Rowsey, who combined for 51 points in the loss to Wichita State. Hauser, a 6-8 wing averaging 9.8 points and 5.8 rebounds, was held to three points in 22 minutes against the Shockers while battling foul trouble, leaving coach Steve Wojciechowski thin in the frontcourt. “Unfortunately for Sam, I thought he never caught his rhythm,” Wojciechowski told reporters. “For you guys who haven’t seen him play, Sam’s one of the better players in the United States, and that foul trouble really hurt us.”

ABOUT LSU (3-1): After recording 21 points and four assists in the win over Michigan, freshman point guard Tremont Waters was held in check by Notre Dame and finished with eight points and three assists in 25 minutes. First-year coach Will Wade has been pleased by the play of 6-11 senior forward Duop Reath, who had 17 points, six rebounds and three blocks against the Fighting Irish along with his first 3-pointer of the season. The Tigers shot 60.0 percent from the field in their first three games but struggled without Sampson against Notre Dame and were held to 36.5 percent shooting, including 6-of-23 from 3-point range.

TIP-INS

1. Marquette is 3-1 all-time against LSU, including an 81-80 victory in New York on Nov. 23, 2015.

2. Wojciechowski was named Maui Invitational MVP as a senior at Duke in 1997.

3. LSU begins a six-game homestand against Tennessee-Martin next Wednesday.

PREDICTION: Marquette 76, LSU 64