LSU’s NCAA Tournament hopes took another hit Saturday, and this one stung - not just because of the final score, but because of how it all unraveled.
The Tigers came out firing in front of their home crowd at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, building a 15-point first-half lead behind a scorching start from Max Mackinnon. But that early energy didn’t carry through, and LSU ultimately fell 83-71 to Georgia - a team that had lost three straight coming into the matchup.
Mackinnon was everything LSU needed him to be - and more. The senior guard poured in 26 points, grabbed five boards, dished out four assists, and was a perfect 10-for-10 from the line.
He opened the game like he had something to prove, attacking downhill for a pair of layups, knocking down a three, and feeding Pablo Tamba for a bucket. In fact, Mackinnon either scored or assisted on LSU’s first nine points, setting the tone for what looked like it could be a statement win.
By the time PJ Carter drilled back-to-back threes - the second from well beyond the arc, following a chase-down block by Robert Miller - LSU had built a 31-16 lead with just under 10 minutes to go in the first half. Everything was clicking. The ball movement was sharp, the turnovers were minimal, and the Tigers were in rhythm.
But Georgia had other plans.
The Bulldogs turned up the pressure - literally - with a full-court press around the 12-minute mark. That defensive shift disrupted LSU’s flow and helped Georgia claw its way back.
Kanon Catchings, a 6-foot-8 wing, was the spark. He hit his first four shots, including three from deep, and finished with 22 points.
Georgia closed the half on an 11-0 run, flipping the momentum and taking a 42-37 lead into the break.
That run exposed two major issues that would haunt LSU the rest of the way: turnovers and second-chance points.
Head coach Matt McMahon pointed to the sharp contrast between the Tigers’ early execution and what followed. After notching nine assists to just two turnovers in the first 10 minutes, LSU managed only three assists and coughed the ball up 12 times the rest of the way. And after limiting Georgia to four offensive rebounds in the first half, the Tigers gave up 12 in the second - many of which led to backbreaking threes.
“They made us pay in the fight and pursuit for those 50-50 plays,” McMahon said.
The absence of starting point guard Dedan Thomas - out for the second straight game with a foot injury - was felt. Senior Rashad King filled in again but struggled to find his rhythm.
He finished scoreless with four assists and three turnovers, and had a costly miscue early in the second half. After a missed Georgia alley-oop, King tried to push the pace but threw an ill-advised outlet pass to a tightly guarded Tamba.
The turnover quickly turned into a Blue Cain three-pointer, stretching Georgia’s lead to 48-41.
From there, LSU never regained control.
Defensive lapses and missed box outs allowed Georgia to rack up offensive rebounds - four in the first seven minutes of the second half alone. With Mike Nwoko battling foul trouble and eventually fouling out with over five minutes to play, the Tigers lacked a physical presence in the paint. Nwoko had eight points and five rebounds in just 15 minutes, but his absence down the stretch left LSU vulnerable inside.
Georgia capitalized. The Bulldogs extended their lead to 77-60 with just over four minutes remaining, sealing the win and further dimming LSU’s postseason outlook.
Mackinnon, who had done everything he could to keep the Tigers afloat, acknowledged the rebounding struggles.
“Sometimes we were in rotations and missed box outs,” he said. “I know I missed box outs.
They’re good athletes. Sometimes you can’t win a jumping contest.
You gotta hit first.”
Now sitting at 14-9 overall and just 2-8 in SEC play, LSU faces an uphill climb. The Tigers will have to regroup quickly, with a rematch against No.
21 Arkansas looming Tuesday night. LSU dropped the first meeting in Fayetteville, 85-81, and they’ll need a more complete effort - and better execution in crunch time - if they want to flip the script.
Time is running out, and the margin for error is gone.