It’s obvious Matt McMahon doesn’t want LSU fans leaving home games early.

That must be the explanation why McMahon’s first Tigers squad hasn’t put too many teams away.

The latest prime example was LSU’s 72-68 victory over East Tennessee State Wednesday night in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. It was the Tigers’ fifth in their last six wins with a single-digit victory margin.

LSU (11-1) never trailed but found itself fighting to get to the game-ending horn as the winner after nearly blowing a 14-point second half lead.

ETSU (4-9) outshot LSU 54.3 percent to 41.2 in the final 20 minutes, whittling the Tigers’ lead to single digits for the game’s last 11 minutes.

The visiting Buccaneers reduced the margin twice to 2 points in the final two minutes at 68-66 with 1:48 left and 70-68 with 54 seconds left.

Both times, LSU responded with points.

Tigers’ forward KJ Williams scored the last of his 28 points following his own miss with 1:20 left for a 70-66 lead.

LSU’s Derek Fountain fouled ETSU’s Jordan King while he hit a layup that cut the margin to 70-68 with 54 seconds left. King missed the free throw.

After a Tigers’ shot clock turnover with 22 seconds left, King missed a game-tying jumper with 15 seconds left and LSU’s Trey Hannibal rebounded. He hit two-game clinching free throws with 7 seconds remaining.

“I thought our ball pressure bothered them in the first half and we were able to make them very uncomfortable running their half-court offense,” McMahion said. “In the second half, they were able to beat us off of triple penetration and hurt us there.

“Secondly, I think, we didn’t shoot the ball as well in the second half and we let that hurt our transition defense and they hurt us there some.”

Besides Williams, who also had 12 rebounds, Fountain was the only other LSU scorer in double figures with 11.

Josh Taylor scored 22 points to lead ETSU. Jalen Hayes added 14 and King had 11.

“We did a really good job guarding those guys (LSU), specially making them miss in the second half,” ETSU head coach Desmond Oliver said. “We changed our defense up a little bit, went with some 2-3 and 1-3-1 zone.

“I’m happy with the zone and what it did for us, but I’m sure I’ll watch the film and find 15 plays, that if we can fix three of them (the plays), we have a chance and can come in here (the PMAC) and give an incredible Christmas present to our families and Buc Nation.”

LSU plays again next Wednesday when it opens SEC play with an 8 p.m. home game against No. 10 Arkansas.

The game against the Razorbacks (11-1) is followed by a January SEC schedule in which the Tigers play five of seven games against ranked teams.

LSU has yet to play a ranked team this season.