No. 25 LSU looked like a team playing its third game in seven days at the start and like a team about to extend a two-game losing streak Tuesday against Missouri.
The hometown Tigers spent all night chasing a lead it never seemed able to catch, but finally put together a run late in the second half to take an 82-78 victory at the PMAC.
Skylar Mays had 23 points and Darius Days a double-double with 20 and 10 rebounds. But it was Javonte Smart who really ignited LSU. He scored nine of his 15 points in a span of 2:19 to get LSU in position for Days to give it the lead for good with a 3-point shot with 4:44 left.
“At the end of the day we need to win,” said LSU coach Will Wade, whose team lost at Vanderbilt and in overtime at Auburn last week. “It was a rough week. We understand we need to play better than we did today.
“Our defensive energy was low. They played harder than we did in the first half. We were able to turn it in the second half which is not easy to do.”
LSU (18-6, 9-2) had five players in double figures as Emmitt Williams and Trendon Watford had 11 each, but got only two points from its bench.
Days hit another big shot with 25 seconds left and LSU clinging to a three-point lead. Watford had a shot blocked with the shot clock winding down, Days retrieved the ball at the baseline and flung up a 15-foot shot that went in for a 78-73 lead.
“That was nothing but a prayer that went in,” Days said. “The whole crowd was in it. We gave them a lift. We took it and ran with it, won the game.”
Days and Smart each hit a pair of free throws in the final 11 seconds to finish off the visiting Tigers (11-13, 3-8). Dru Smith had 20 points for Missouri and Reed Nikko 13 for Missouri.
Missouri led for 32:46 of the 40 minutes and by as many as 12 points in the first half, sinking 7 of 13 3-point shots. LSU meanwhile was 0 of 9 from beyond the arc but tightened up on both ends of the court in the second half. LSU made all three of its 3-point shots in the second half while Missouri was 2 of 8.
LSU also hit the boards, turning an 18-12 rebound deficit to 32-31 by the end of the game. LSU had three offensive rebounds in the first half but 10 for the game.
“Missouri is a great defensive team and they made us play one on one,” Mays said of LSU’s first half offensive troubles. “We play our best basketball when we can get the ball moving and attack closeouts. We figured out how to score enough points to win.
“That’s (offensive rebounding) what we do. We’ve got four monsters who are great on the offensive glass. It’s easy to shoot with confidence when you know your teammates are going to go get it.”
LSU also went after Missouri harder in the second half, extending the defense with half court and full court presses to get them off the 3-point line.
“We forced their offense out,” Wade said. “We were the aggressor in the second half. The first we were on our heels. Smith and (Xavier) Pinson were getting in the paint. They had plenty of options.”
Days’ point total matched his season high and brought a smile to Wade’s face after the game. He was 5 of 9 from the field and 9 of 9 on free throws and led the offensive rebounding effort with five. He had 19 points and seven rebounds in an overtime loss at Auburn Saturday.
“When he’s not in foul trouble that what he can do every game,” Wade said. “He puts himself in tough spots and gets tough calls sometimes. I’m really proud of him. That’s back-to-back really good games for him.”
Wade wasn’t so happy with his bench, although he complimented Marshall Graves for good minutes. Help may be on the way with guard Charles Manning Jr. due to return soon, possibly Saturday at Alabama.
“Hopefully we’ll have Charles back Saturday,” Wade said. “We need some help on our bench. It’s going to be hard to keep winning with just five guys. Our bench has to step up and help us.”
