LSU Heads to Gainesville Looking to Build Momentum After First SEC Win
BATON ROUGE - After finally cracking the win column in SEC play, LSU hits the road Tuesday night with a shot to keep the good vibes rolling - but they’ll have to earn it against a red-hot Florida squad that’s been steamrolling through the conference.
Tipoff is set for just after 6 p.m. CT at Exactech Arena inside the Stephen C.
O’Connell Center. The game will air on SEC Network and across the LSU Sports Radio Network, with Chris Blair and former Tigers head coach John Brady on the call.
Both LSU and Florida come into this one with identical 13-5 overall records, but their conference journeys have looked very different. LSU sits at 1-4 in SEC play, while the Gators are riding a four-game win streak that’s vaulted them into a tie for first place alongside Texas A&M at 4-1. Florida’s recent run includes impressive wins over Georgia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Vanderbilt - a stretch that’s turned heads and sent a clear message across the league.
Florida’s most recent outing, a 98-94 shootout win at Vanderbilt, showcased just how deep and dynamic this Gators team can be. Reuben Chinyelu and Xaivian Lee each poured in 20 points, with Chinyelu also grabbing 10 boards to notch a double-double.
Thomas Haugh added 18 points, Alex Condon chipped in 16, and Isaiah Brown rounded out the scoring punch with 14. That kind of balanced attack has been a hallmark of Todd Golden’s squad in his fourth season at the helm.
Haugh has been the go-to guy all season, leading the Gators with 17.4 points per game. Condon is right behind at 14.4, while Chinyelu continues to be a force inside, averaging a double-double with 11.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.
Efficiency has been another key to Florida’s success. Against Vandy, they shot a blistering 52.5% from the field, knocked down nine threes, and went 25-of-30 from the free throw line. They also dominated the glass, outrebounding the Commodores 40-26 and racking up 22 second-chance points - a stat that could loom large again on Tuesday.
LSU, meanwhile, is coming off its most complete SEC performance of the season, a 78-70 home win over Missouri that snapped a four-game conference skid. The Tigers jumped out to a 10-0 lead and never trailed, leading for nearly the entire 40 minutes.
It wasn’t just the scoreboard that told the story - LSU took care of the ball with a season-low seven turnovers in SEC play and won the battle on the boards, 35-30, including a 16-9 edge on the offensive glass. That led to a 21-13 advantage in second-chance points, a crucial edge in a tightly contested game.
The Tigers also found their rhythm from deep, connecting on 10 three-pointers - just the third time this season they’ve hit double digits from beyond the arc.
Individually, Marquel Sutton had a breakout night, dropping a season-high 26 points - his third 20-plus performance of the year. Max Mackinnon continued his strong stretch in conference play with 20 points of his own and is now leading LSU in SEC scoring, averaging just under 20 points per game.
One major question mark heading into Tuesday is the status of point guard DJ Thomas Jr., who’s been sidelined since suffering a lower left leg injury just before the start of SEC play. He remains day-to-day, and his availability will be officially updated Monday night at 7:10 p.m. CT on the SEC Availability Report.
Looking ahead, LSU won’t get much time to rest after Florida. The Tigers will be back on the road Saturday for a matchup with Arkansas at Bud Walton Arena, tipping off at 7:30 p.m. CT.
Also of note for fans: Because of the Tuesday game, head coach Matt McMahon’s weekly radio show will shift to Wednesday night at TJ Ribs on Acadian Thruway.
Bottom line - LSU has a chance to turn a corner this week. But to do it, they’ll need to bring the same energy, discipline, and shot-making they showed against Missouri - and then some - to take down a Florida team that’s playing like a contender.