LSU Men's Basketball Drops Road Contest To Tennessee, 73-63

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee – With a second starter on the bench with an injury, eight LSU Tigers battled courageously before dropping a 73-63 decision Saturday night at Thompson Boling Arena at Food City Center.

With Max Mackinnon missing his first game with knee issues, Jalen Rece and Rashad King assumed the guard spots for the Tigers.

The Tigers finished the game with four players in double figures, 11 assists and just three turnovers with eight made three-pointers.

Tennessee built a 31-19 lead with 4:44 to go in the first half, but the Tigers would finish the half on a 10-4 run to cut the league to six, 35-29, at intermission despite Tennessee shooting 13-of-26 in the first half comparted to 9-of-26 for the Tigers.

LSU came out strong at the start of the second half with Pablo Tamba and Jalen Reece hitting back-to-back three-pointers to tie the game at 35-35. The teams traded two-point baskets and then three-pointers to put the game at 40-40 with 16:32 to play.

LSU would take its first lead at 42-41 when Marquel Sutton made a couple of free throws. After a Tennessee miss, Sutton was able to score off a long pass from Mazi Mosley to give LSU a 44-41 advantage with 14:28 to play.

LSU’s last advantage at 48-47 on a King layup with 12 minutes to play.

But Tennessee’s ability to dominate the boards would begin to prove too much for the Tigers as Tennessee’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie made a three with the game tied at 50 to give Tennessee the lead for good with 11:14 to play.

Sutton and Reece led LSU with 15 points each. Sutton had nine boards, while Reece had three treys, four assists and one turnover playing the entire 40 minutes. Pablo Tamba had 13 points and Mike Nwoko 10.

Tennessee’s Nate Ament had 22 points, drawing eight fouls and going 10-of-11 at the line. J. P. Estrella had 16 points and Gillespie 12 with six assists. Both Ament and Estrella each had nine rebounds.

Tennessee out rebounded LSU, 45-24, including 16-8 on the offensive boards, resulting in a 22-4 advantage in second chance turnovers. The Vols had a 34-18 advantage in points in the paint.

LSU finished at 38.2 percent for the game (21-of-55) with eight made three-pointers and 13-of-19 from the line. Tennessee was 25-of-54 (46.3 percent) with six treys and 17-of-23 at the line.

The Tigers will next play on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. in Austin, Texas against Texas. The game will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network and the SEC Network.

(Release via LSU Athletics)