Louisiana State University came into the first round of the NCAA tournament, fresh off a 1 point loss to Alabama in the SEC Tournament. As they prepared to host St. Bonaventure, they knew a win would be crucial to their season. It would stamp them a ticket to the second round. The last time they were in the tournament was in 2019, which resulted in a 79-74 win to Yale. This game would play out the same way, just a different score, and a different opponent.
The first half was off to a very slow start. 8 minutes into the game, it was all tied up at 4. However, LSU started to wake up as they went on an 11-6 run to take a 5 point lead. With just under 4 minutes to play, their lead reached double digits. Eventually, though, St. Bona responded. A jumper by Jalen Adaway cut their lead to 8. It was a sloppy first half offensively from St. Bona as the team only made 7 of the 30 shots they took. They were shooting 22% from the field, and as a result, went into halftime down 9. LSU was in front 31-22 at the break.
At the start of the second half, LSU scored 7 unanswered points and expanded their lead to 16. St Bona began trying to put themselves back in it but would not suffice. They made it a 10 point game again at the 12:05 mark. It was all LSU from thereon. They took another 16 point lead with 3 minutes to play. A free throw by St. Bona’s Alejandra Vasquez cut it to 15 with 1 minute left. That sealed the deal. LSU put an end to St. Bona’s season in a 76-61 victory.
A major factor in St. Bona’s downfall was still the inconsistency from the field and three-point land. They were 33% from the field in the second half. Compared to the first, it was not that much better. They also struggled to make three-pointers, shooting only 15% from downtown. Finally, they had an inability to get rebounds. LSU also won the rebound battle 45-29.
The silver lining for LSU was freshman Cameron Thomas who led the team with 27 points.
“My threes and shots were a little off in the first half, so I had to get going by getting to the free-throw line, and getting to the basket,” he said. “That is what propelled us to win today.
This win gives coach Will Wade his first win in his first game coaching LSU in the NCAA tournament. Prior to Wade’s arrival, LSU has only made the tournament twice in the previous 10 seasons. Both were under different coaches. In 2016, LSU went to the Sweet 16. How far will they go this year?
“We are going to have to play our best game of the season on Monday,” Wade said. “There’s no doubt about that, and so hopefully we’re building towards that and can reach a crescendo on Monday.
Up Next:
LSU will face 1st place Michigan on Monday, March 22nd, time TBD.
