LSU’s season ends in first round of NCAA Tournament against Iowa State
The No. 6-seeded Tigers fought valiantly to avoid an upset without coach Will Wade, who had been fired just six days prior, on the sidelines in Friday night’s NCAA Tournament opener against No. 11-seeded Iowa State.
LSU battled back from a deficit that reached as high as 12 points, cutting the Cyclone lead to one in the final minutes. But that comeback effort ultimately wasn’t enough, as interim coach Kevin Nickelberry’s team ended an up-and-down season with a 59-54 loss in Milwaukee to go one-and-done in March Madness.
As has been the case all season, the Tigers’ defense — which ranks top-five in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency — was strong. It held Iowa State to just 35.7% shooting from the field, and it forced 10 turnovers.
But as has also been the case this season, the offense held the team back. LSU shot 37%, better than the Cyclones, but it was below 30% from the field in the first half, which contributed to the hole the Tigers found themselves in.
Mistakes proved costly as well. LSU turned the ball over 18 times, gifting Iowa State 22 points going the other way. Ultimately, this team’s weaknesses doomed it despite a hard battle with the season on the line, and Nickelberry likely finishes his tenure as the Tigers coach at 0-1.
Here were the standouts from the game that caused LSU’s disappointing early exit.
Next: Three stars from the game
First Star: Tyrese Hunter
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Hunter has played second fiddle to Izaiah Brockington for much of the 2021-22 season, but Friday night was his night. He led the team with 23 points from the field to go with five steals, three assists and three rebounds.
He shot 8 of 13 from the field, and he was a sharpshooter from downtown, finishing 7 of 11 from the three-point line. Ultimately, LSU just didn’t have anyone that could match up against him in the backcourt.
Next: The Cyclones’ leader
Second Star: Izaiah Brockington
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Brockington is Iowa State’s leading scorer, and though he didn’t top the box score on Friday night, it was still a very impressive game for the talented guard. He finished just behind Hunter with 19 points, also totaling four rebounds and three steals.
His shot wasn’t particularly effective as he went just 6 of 16 for the game, but he used his physicality to get to the line, where he was 6 of 8.
Next: LSU’s hero gives it his all
Third Star: Tari Eason
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All season, LSU has gone where Tari Eason goes. The sixth man leads the team in scoring despite coming off the bench, and he did so again in this one, scoring 18 points (16 of which came in the second half).
He made some key free throws down the stretch that kept the Tigers in the game, but he also found himself in foul trouble. He committed four, and that limited him to just 20 minutes in this game.
An honorable mention goes to senior forward Darius Days, who may have played his final game in the purple and gold. He was the only other LSU player to score in double figures and finished with a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double.
Eason and Days fought to keep their team’s season going, but mistakes and poor offensive play ultimately proved to costly. Now, the Tigers will hope to put this result behind them as a new era is set to begin this offseason.
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