LSU Basketball Pulls Away From Vanderbilt 83-68 to Secure SEC Tourney Double Bye
LSU knew it had a mission to accomplish against Vanderbilt and the result was one of the more well rounded performances of the season on both ends of the court. Behind dedicated perimeter defense and offensive balance, the Tigers secured a double bye in the SEC tournament, beating Vanderbilt 83-68.
LSU (15-8, 10-6) took advantage of a 1-for-7 start from the field by Vanderbilt to jump out on the Commodores 17-3 in the first five minutes of the game. The Tigers were fueled throughout the evening by the sharpshooting of Darius Days.
Days, coming off a horrendous 0-for-7 showing from the field, didn't let the poor performance carry over. The saying all year has been when Days plays well, it usually means good news for the Tigers. Day scored 13 points with 10 rebounds while freshman guard Cam Thomas poured in 23 points with 10 rebounds in what is likely his last game inside the PMAC.
“I just bring different things to the table. For example, diving on loose balls, rebounding, communicating,” Days said. “Doing things that other guys wouldn’t do. I talk to the guys, talk to Cam (Thomas). Keep everyone levelheaded, huddle the guys up. The little things are important, nothing too major.”
As Vandy started to make a run in the first half, at one point cutting the lead to 10, Will Wade went to freshman guard Jalen Cook for a spark and what a spark it was. Possession after possession, Cook left his mark on the defensive end, leading to some easy transition baskets and key stops to help the Tigers end the half on a 17-5 run to take a 46-24 lead into the break.
“Jalen (Cook) is a great player. He comes in and works every morning, even though some games he doesn’t get in,” Trendon Watford said. “He’s always going to be working. It says a lot about him. He’s always going to be ready when his number is called. I see it every day from him, it’s no surprise for me, and the world is going to see it soon.”
Heading into the game, there were two areas Wade addressed as major points of emphasis, limiting the number of three pointers for a trigger happy Commodores team and controlling the glass. It's important to note that Vanderbilt was without its two best players Scotty Pippen Jr. and Dylan Disu but the Tigers were able to limit the Commodores to 8-for-27 shooting from beyond the arc.
In addition, LSU controlled the glass with a 51-29 advantage that included 13 offensive rebounds and 15 second chance points. Knowing the team needed a win to come away with the double bye in the SEC tournament, the team came out focused and with an intensity not seen against Georgia and Arkansas last week.
The second half was more of the same as the purple and gold pretty much coasted with their 20+ point lead behind balanced scoring as all nine players who saw the court, scored at least two points.
“It’s good to get back on a winning track. I was very proud of our guys. We prepared well,” Wade said. “This is the first time in 30 years that we have won 10 or more SEC games three-straight years. That’s not easy to do and certainly not easy to around here. I think that is very good for our program and where we are and where we want to continue to be.”
With a double bye secured, the Tigers will now prepare for a makeup game against a Missouri team that's lost three of its last four after being a top 25 team for most of the season.
