Tennessee out to handle opportunity vs. LSU
Despite winning six of its past eight outings, Tennessee has had to weather two stinging losses because of blown leads.
The Volunteers (17-7, 7-4 Southeastern Conference) will kick off a two-game home stretch with two games where they are expected to be strong favorites, starting Saturday against LSU in Knoxville, Tenn.
Coach Rick Barnes' club is tied for fourth in the conference with Vanderbilt, Alabama, Missouri and Texas A&M, with each trailing first-place Florida by two games.
The two losses over eight games were missed opportunities and costly: The Volunteers had healthy, double-digit leads twice against rival Kentucky but failed to seal the wins both times.
In its 73-64 road win Wednesday over Mississippi State, Tennessee led by 23 points with under 11 minutes left but had to withstand its recurring nemesis in the form of an 18-0 Bulldogs run.
"One thing when I talked to them, I said, ‘How do we let that happen?'" said Barnes, whose squad hosts Oklahoma on Wednesday. "And again, this team, they're like, ‘We had an 18-0 run?' They were shocked.
"It goes back to concentration and not getting relaxed. That kind of has been the story of our team. We get a lead and we start doing those things."
Ja'Kobi Gillespie (18.5 points per game) and Nate Ament (17.5) are the only two players scoring in double figures.
The Tigers (14-10, 2-9) are 1-5 in the past six games, with four setbacks being by double figures.
Two weeks ago at South Carolina, coach Matt McMahon's squad won 92-87 in overtime behind 21 points from Mike Nwoko, who scores 13.3 per game.
With guard Rashad King running the point and setting season highs in points (18) and rebounds (seven), LSU recorded a season-best 23 assists on 31 made baskets.
"That's the pathway for us moving forward," said McMahon. "Less dribbling. More ball movement, more off-ball screens give us our best opportunity to be efficient on offense right now."
Dedan Thomas Jr. leads LSU with 15.3 points, but the UNLV transfer has not played since injuring his foot Jan. 28 against Mississippi State.
McMahon added his guard is trying to get healthy, saying, "I know in today's age of college athletics, you hear a lot of opt-outs and things like that. He is doing everything in his power (to play)."
Max Mackinnon averages 14.5 points per game, and Marquel Sutton tallies 13.4.