LSU Basketball Disappointed With Late Game Execution in Recent SEC Loss

LSU was full strength Saturday but it didn't matter as the Tigers dropped a game that was an absolute must win.

Carrying a double digit lead in the second half, the purple and gold fell apart down the stretch and now are back to .500 in SEC play with a very difficult four game stretch remaining. The loss to South Carolina had many negatives attached to it, not the least of which is it has pretty much taken the Tigers out of the running of a top four seed in the SEC, something Will Wade and company have accomplished three years in a row.

Entering the game against the Gamecocks, the point of contention around the program was that when fully healthy this team didn't lose. This was something that proved true for most of the year, with the Tigers posting a 17-1 record with a healthy Xavier Pinson, the lone loss coming at No. 2 Auburn.

But Saturday proved this theory wrong and that the issues of this team are deeply rooted and won't be easy to correct, starting with valuing the ball late in games, particularly on the road where the team is now 2-6 in conference play.

The purple and gold committed nine second half turnovers, many of which came in the final eight minutes of the game as South Carolina whittled down an 11-point LSU lead in the final 13 minutes of the contest.

"It definitely stings. We've just got to be better with the ball at the end of the game and stretching leads in the middle of the game," forward Darius Days said. "We've got to get (better) at playing how we're supposed to play and close out games. SEC Tournament time is coming up and we need a pretty good seed to start. Nobody really wants the play-in game or to play five games in a weekend. We're fighting for our lives right now."

The most disappointing part for Wade is that it's different guys every game making the mistakes, rendering it difficult to know on a game to game basis just what he can expect from his team. For example, of the 15 total turnovers, 10 came from Pinson and sophomore forward Tari Eason, two of the veterans and best players on this roster. It's hard to win games with that many mistakes from the top players.

Another perplexing cause for concern is the dramatic drop in free throw efficiency in the last several weeks, that really came to a head Saturday afternoon. The Tigers converted just 13-of-22 free throws against the Gamecocks, losing the free throw battle by four in a two point loss.

“It’s certainly disappointing. It’s not good. All we can do is keep working, keep getting better," Wade said. "The disappointing part is it’s different guys every game. There’s not one thing we can necessarily hone in on. We’ve got to try and work and get it fixed and we’ve got to have an urgency to get it fixed.”

Eason was the first to put the loss on him after the game, committing a turnover on a crucial possession in the final minute.

"It hurts a lot, you know. After the game I kind of told the guys regardless of how much we were up, in the last minute I turned the ball over and helped them go up by three. I accept 100% responsibility for our loss today," Eason said. "Our guys fought hard. Certain things may not have gone our way, but as someone who wants to see himself as a leader on this team, I take 100% accountability on that loss."

There's certainly a blueprint for this team to win but they haven't been able to match the early season success. With games against three of the top teams in the SEC this season, two of which are on the road, the Tigers don't have much time to regain its top form but the potential is there.