LSU gets hard-fought win over Houston, 80-77
Aaron Epps had career-highs with 26 points and 16 rebounds and Tremont Waters blocked a potential game-tying 3-point shot in the final seconds as LSU edged Houston 80-77 in a non-conference game at the PMAC on Wednesday night.
GAME-DECIDING STRETCH
Holding on to a three-point lead late into the game, the Tigers got an important three-point play from Epps with 57 seconds to play following an offensive rebound. Rob Gray knocked down a 3-pointer on the Cougars’ next possession to cut their deficit in half. A turnover by Waters gave Houston an opportunity to tie the score. But, Waters made up for his miscue by blocking a 3-point shot attempt by Lafayette native Corey Davis. The Cougars got one more shot at the basket, but Devin Davis’ long 3-point shot bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
LSU PLAYER OF THE GAME
Epps had the best game of his Tigers career with the 26 points and 16 rebounds. Epps scored nine of LSU’s first 14 points as it jumped out to a nine-point advantage. Then, Epps scored six of the Tigers’ final seven points inside the final four minutes. Epps was 8-of-12 from the field, including 2-of-4 from behind the 3-point line. The eight field goals were a career-high. The two 3-pointers matched Epps’ season-high. Epps had scored more than eight points in just one other game this season – 14 against Michigan.
Epps’ comments: “Tremont (Waters), Skylar (Mays) and me were just playing. We were playing extra hard, making extra passes. We were hustling. It was difficult rebounding on the defensive end. All of Houston’s guys were crashing hard, so I just had to basically fight. We had to keep on fighting defensively. We had to make sure we crashed the glass hard and make sure we got our hands up on every shot.”
KEY TEAM STATISTICS
3-point field goal shooting – Houston 38% (11-of-29), LSU 33% (7-of-21)
Free throw shooting – LSU 85% (17-of-20), Houston 71% (10-of-14)
Rebounds – LSU 38, Houston 33
Points in the paint – LSU 38, Houston 18
Second-chance points – LSU 19, Houston 7
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
LSU
Aaron Epps: 26 points, 16 rebounds
Skylar Mays: 18 points, 9 rebounds
Tremont Waters: 17 points, 6 assists
Brandon Rachal: 5 points, 5 rebounds
HOUSTON
Rob Gray: 20 points, 7 assists
Corey Davis: 20 points
Devin Davis: 14 points, 7 rebounds
Chris Harris: 5 points, 5 rebounds
NOTES
The LSU starting lineup consisted of Waters at point guard, Mays and Randy Onwuasor on the wings and Epps and Wayde Sims in the post. . .Mays was a huge factor on ends of the court. He missed all five of his 3-point shots, but he was able to get the ball inside against Houston. Mays was 6-of-11 on his two-point shots and sank all six of his foul shots. All nine of Mays’ rebounds came on the defensive end of the floor. . .Waters got off to a hot with ten points and six assists in the first ten minutes of the game. But, he would not register another assist and didn’t score again until 11 minutes remained in the game. Waters put the Tigers on top for good with a 3-pointer at the 6:32 mark of the second half. Waters’ game-saving blocked shot was his first of the season. Waters was 7-of-14 from the field, including 3-of-5 on 3-pointers. Waters had three turnovers and three steals. . .Daryl Edwards was the unsung hero with his defense on Gray. Edwards held Gray to one field goal in the final 7½ minutes. Edwards made one 3-point shot in four attempts. . .Sims and Duop Reath had problems against Houston’s physical post players. Sims and Reath combined for only nine points and four rebounds. . .Rachal was his usual disruptive self. LSU used Rachal in the post down the stretch. He did a good job defending Devin Davis, who scored no points in the final seven minutes. . .Onwuasor got into early foul trouble and played just six minutes. In addition, Edwards got a majority of the time on the court because of his defense on Gray. . .Houston was outrebounded for the first time this season. In the second half, the Tigers outrebounded the Cougars 22-13 and outscored them 14-2 in second-chance points. . .LSU has won both of its close games this season. The Tigers beat Michigan 77-75 in Maui. . .A big stretch of the game came early after halftime. Trailing 49-45, LSU scored ten consecutive points – six coming from the free throw line. The Cougars went nearly four minutes without scoring as the Tigers went on top 55-49. Mays and Epps accounted for eight of the ten points. . .LSU is 6-2, while Houston is 8-2. . .The paid attendance was 8,449. The actual attendance was about 4,200.
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
Coach Will Wade’s comments: “We won the game on toughness. We were really gritty down the stretch. That offensive rebound and and-one by Epps was a huge play. Obviously, Epps led the way. But, it was a total team effort. Daryl Edwards played a phenomenal game on Gray. To be the first team to outrebound Houston all year showed that our guys were locked in and ready to play. We didn’t turn the ball over (11 turnovers). We beat a very, very good team. It was a great team win.”
UP NEXT
LSU will play host to Stephen F. Austin at the PMAC on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for noon Central. The Lumberjacks (9-1) defeated Rice 81-62 at Nacogdoches last Saturday. The LSU-Stephen F. Austin game will be available on the SEC Network.