LSU men shoot from 3-point range in exhibition win | LSU

The LSU men's basketball team fired from 3-point range in its 110-48 win over Loyola of New Orleans on Tuesday.

Nine of the first 13 field goal attempts the Tigers attempted at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center were 3-pointers. LSU sank five of those first nine, quickly pulling away from an undersized, overwhelmed Wolfpack team that scored just 12 points in the first half.

“I thought the selection was pretty good for the most part,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said. “I saw a couple of our young guys there shoot an airball or a bank-shot 3 early, but once they settled in and knocked down a few shots, they were ready to go.”

LSU had a starting lineup that included three transfers, one freshman and one returning player. Freshmen Jordan Sears, Cam Carter and Dji Bailey manned the backcourt and started the game along with freshman Robert Miller and junior Jalen Reed in the frontcourt.

Sears, a transfer guard from UT-Martin, hit Loyola with a quick three-point shot during a short stretch of the first half. An offensive rebound provided the first goal and a chance for a quick counterattack set up the next one. Those long-range shots allowed LSU to take an early 18-2 lead, and they helped the fifth-year senior finish his first half with 13 points on 4 of 7 shooting. Sears then added another three points in the second half.

By the end of the game, four Tigers had made multiple 3-point shots. Carter, a Kansas State transfer who grew up in Donaldsonville, scored 21 points after hitting 8 of 13 field goal attempts and 5 of 8 3-point attempts. Mike Williams, a second-year returnee, scored another 11 points after shooting 3 of 6 from long range.

LSU made 18 of 37 attempted 3-pointers in both halves.

In their first two seasons under McMahon, the Tigers made just twice as many three-pointers. LSU ranked 12th in the Southeastern Conference in 3-point attempts per game (21.7) last season. That average was exactly the same as last year, a season in which LSU converted 33% of the 22.1 3-pointers attempted per game. His grade in each category ranked sixth in the SEC this year.

“I think we just want to get the highest quality shot we can,” McMahon said, “If that's off-dribble penetration to the rim or Jalen Reed in the post or extra pass threes, we want those take them and shoot with them.” a lot of self-confidence.”

LSU also had a good performance from Reed, the 6-foot-10 forward, who scored nine points on 4-of-7 shooting and grabbed five rebounds. Curtis Givens, a freshman from Tennessee, added 10 points, and Bailey, a graduate transfer from Richmond, had 10 points and four assists.

On defense, LSU allowed Loyola to shoot just 29% from the field and 20% from 3-point range. The Wolfpack, picked to finish third in the Southern States Athletic Conference, committed 19 turnovers, scored just 22 points in the game and sank just 10 free throws.

LSU kept junior Tyrell Ward and fifth-year Derek Fountain out of action against Loyola as a “precautionary measure,” McMahon said.

LSU's season, its third under McMahon, begins with a home game against UL-Monroe on Nov. 6 at 7 p.m.