LSU defeats La. Tech, 83-70 in exhibition

RUSTON – The LSU Tigers allowed Louisiana Tech to rally to take a two-point lead early in the second half, but Darius Days then scored eight straight points to allow the Tigers to take the lead for good and go on to an 83-70 win over the Bulldogs Saturday afternoon at the Thomas Assembly Center. 

The game was an NCAA-approved charity exhibition contest to benefit recovery from the devastating tornado that hit Ruston and the Tech campus in April.

LSU opens its regular season on Friday night at 7 p.m. against Bowling Green in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Tickets for the game and season tickets and mini-plans remain on sale at the LSU Athletic Ticket Office and at LSUtix.net.

Like the exhibition games in Spain in August, six Tigers scored in double-figures. Javonte Smart had 18 points, Days 16, Charles Manning Jr. 13, Emmitt Williams 12, Skylar Mays 11 and Trendon Watford 10 (with 10 boards).

LA Tech was led by Kalob Ledoux with 18 points with Xavier Armstead getting 11, Mo Muhammed 10 and Jean Derric 10. 

The Bulldogs had rallied to take a 44-42 lead with 18:07 to go in the game on an Amorie Archibald three-pointer.

But Days went to work hitting an outside the paint jump shot to tie the game at 44-44. Tech missed three-pointer and Days came down and hit a three-pointer of his own to give LSU the lead for good at 47-44. After another Tech miss, Days would score another three-pointer to make it 50-44 and Mays would hit two free throw to make it 52-44 with 16:22 to go in the game.

The Tigers would continue to put the scoring pressure on, taking the lead to 18-points at 70-52, with 8:48 to go in the game.  LA Tech only got as close as 11 in the final minutes.

LSU shot 48.3 percent for the game (29-of-60) and made 10 three-pointers. LSU struggled at the line, making just 15-of-26. The Bulldogs shot 32.1 percent for the game (25-of-78) and made 8-of-29 three-pointers. Tech was 12-of-20 at the charity stripe. 

LSU had 22 assists on 29 made baskets. Louisiana Tech out rebounded LSU, 48-47, but the Bulldogs had a 20-10 advantage on the offensive boards before an announced attendance of 6,283.

The first half was close at 36-35, but LSU was able to build a 14-point lead before the Bulldogs rallied to cut the margin to one at the intermission.

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