LSU defeats Charleston 67-55

Emmitt Williams scored 14 points and Tremont Waters handed out 11 assists as LSU defeated College of Charleston 67-55 in a first-round game of the AdvoCare Invitational tournament at HP Field House in Orlando (Fla.) on Thursday night.

DECISIVE STRETCH OF THE GAME

LSU jumped out to a 13-point lead in the first seven-plus minutes and never trailed. Seven Tigers players scored as they went ahead 18-5. Waters scored five points on a two-point field goal and a 3-point shot. Marlon Taylor also had a 3-point basket during this stretch. LSU made eight of its first 12 field goal attempts. Meanwhile, Charleston missed seven of its first eight shots from the field and committed four turnovers.

LSU PLAYER OF THE GAME

In his homecoming to the state of Florida, Williams nearly recorded his third double-double in five games. Williams was 6-of-9 from the field and 2-of-3 from the foul line. The 14 points were a season-high for him. Williams finished with nine rebounds. He has 41 rebounds in LSU’s first five games.

KEY TEAM STATISTICS

Field goal shooting: LSU 52% (27-of-52), Charleston 34% (18-of-53)

Three-point field goal shooting: LSU 30% (6-of-20), Charleston 21% (5-of-24)

Free throw shooting: LSU 70% (7-of-10), Charleston 64% (14-of-22)

Assists: LSU 18, Charleston 8

Points in the paint: LSU 36, Charleston 20

Bench points: LSU 23, Charleston 6

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

LSU

Emmitt Williams: 14 points, 9 rebounds

Skylar Mays: 12 points, 5 assists

Tremont Waters: 8 points, 11 assists

Darius Days: 6 points, 6 rebounds

CHARLESTON

Jarrell Brantley: 27 points, 9 rebounds

Brevin Galloway: 11 points

Grant Riller: 4 points, 5 assists

Nick Harris: 2 points, 5 rebounds

NOTES

LSU’s starting lineup consisted of Naz Reid and Williams in the post, Ja’vonte Smart and Mays on the wings and Waters at point guard. The five starters all played more than 20 minutes. Reid played the fewest minutes of the starters with 22. . .Waters matched his career-high with 11 assists. He had 11 assists against Arkansas last season. . .Mays reached double figures in scoring for the fourth time in five games. Mays was 4-of-7 from the field, including 2-of-5 on 3-pointers. Mays’ five assists were a season-high. . .Reid failed to score in double figures for the second straight game. Reid, who was 3-of-6 from the field, had six points and two rebounds. . .Smart did not score in double figures for the first time this season. Smart, who took just three shots in 30 minutes, had four points. . .Days made all three of his field goal attempts. . .Kavell Bigby-Williams had four points and three rebounds in 12 minutes. . .Daryl Edwards and Taylor combined for 13 points. Both players were on the floor for 14 minutes. Edwards made two 3-pointers, while Taylor made one. Taylor grabbed four rebounds. . .Both Waters and Reid committed three turnovers. . .LSU was outrebounded by Charleston 35-34. . .Riller, who was averaging 19 points per game, missed eight of his ten field goal attempts. . .The Tigers had no answer for Brantley, who scored 27 points – eight above his season average. . .The Cougars reduced their deficit to six points at 22-16 with slightly more than seven minutes remaining in the first half. LSU answered with 11 consecutive points. Mays started the run with a 3-pointer. Williams had two baskets in this stretch which saw the Tigers go on top 33-16. . .The Tigers, which led 33-22 at halftime, maintained a double-digit advantage during the entire second half. . .LSU ended a nine-game losing streak away from the PMAC. The Tigers’ last victory away from home came at Arkansas last season. The 55 points scored by the Cougars were the fewest LSU had allowed away from the PMAC since winning at Arkansas 75-54 last season. . .The Tigers are 5-0 for the first time in six seasons. . .Charleston is 3-2.        

UP NEXT

LSU will play Florida State in a semifinal game of the AdvoCare Invitational Tournament at HP Field House in Orlando on Friday. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Central. The Seminoles (4-0) defeated UAB 81-63 in a first-round game Thursday night. The LSU-Florida State game will be available on ESPN2.

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