LSU visits Texas A&M in rematch of slumping SEC rivals

Link copied!

Two struggling teams will try to end their slumps when LSU visits Texas A&M on Tuesday in a Southeastern Conference game.

The Tigers (16-7, 4-6 SEC) started the season 15-1 but have lost six of their past seven games. Their only win came against the Aggies, who will try to end a six-game losing streak when they host the rematch in College Station, Texas.

LSU, which used a 9-0 game-ending run to emerge with a 70-64 win against the Aggies (15-8, 4-6) on Jan. 26, has seen rallies come up short in its last two games. The Tigers trailed Ole Miss by 24 points in the first half and pulled within two twice late in the game before losing 76-72 on Feb. 1. They trailed host Vanderbilt by 21 in the second half before going on a 16-0 run but still lost 75-66 on Saturday.

"We've charged back," coach Will Wade said, "but we spend so much energy to get back we can't get over the hump."

Since defeating Texas A&M, the Tigers have allowed their three highest point totals of the season, surrendering an average of 76 points per game. Before that, they had allowed an average of 58.4.

Vanderbilt made 13 of 31 3-pointers compared to LSU's 3 of 14 shooting from behind the arc. Wade said LSU "over-helped" and the Commodores took advantage with their ball movement, finishing with 18 assists. The Tigers had six.

"We just let them make way too many (3-pointers)," Wade said. "The game plan was to choke them off from 3. We did not carry out the game plan. We had poor close-outs and we helped when we didn't need to. I mean, we just left them wide open. You're not beating many teams doing that."

Aggies coach Buzz Williams said he's pleased with how his players have maintained a positive attitude and played hard during the losing streak.

"They have been phenomenal," Williams said. "They have responded to everything that we have asked them to do. They have been together, they have been united, and they have received what we have been telling them in regard to how thin the line is. Three straight weeks of losing is hard."

Williams changed his starting lineup for a 70-66 home loss to Missouri on Saturday. He gave Wade Taylor IV his first start of the season. Taylor scored six points -- but even with him in the starting lineup the bench outscored the Missouri bench 36-15.

Hayden Hefner and Quenton Jackson came off the bench to lead Texas A&M with 17 points each. Hefner's career-high total came in just 17 minutes as he made a career-high five 3-pointers.

"I have been waiting on my opportunity and I keep grinding every day in practice," Hefner said. "I just keep doing what I know how to do. I have been doing this most of my life and any chance I get, I just go out there full force and don't hold anything back."

The Aggies bench outscored the Tennessee bench 58-29 in a 90-80 road loss last Tuesday. But the bench was outscored by the LSU bench 31-24 in the first meeting even though the Tigers were missing two injured starters (Xavier Pinson and Darius Days).

--Field Level Media