LSU tightens defense, surges past Alabama State

Cam Carter scored 21 points and LSU overcame a 10-point second-half deficit to defeat Alabama State 74-61 in a nonconference game Sunday in Baton Rouge, La.

Jordan Sears added 18 points, Dji Bailey scored 15 and the Tigers (2-0) used tighter defense to trigger the turnaround. They outscored ASU 48-20 in the second half.

TJ Madlock scored 21, Amarr Knox had 20 and CJ Hines added 13 to lead the Hornets (0-2), who were just 1-for-20 on 3-pointers.

LSU's first five points of the second half came on free throws before Daimion Collins's dunk ended a field-goal drought of nearly nine minutes dating to the first half. Robert Miller III followed with a basket that gave the Tigers a 35-34 lead with 16:13 left in the second half.

Madlock scored seven points and had an assist to help the Hornets open a 48-38 lead with 12:38 left.

Carter scored five points to help LSU take a 59-51 lead after a 12-0 run.

Mario Andrews, who finished with 10 rebounds, had a put-back to end a scoring drought of more than three minutes and a field-goal drought of four minutes for ASU.

Carter made three free throws and Sears added a layup to push the lead to 11.

Madlock made a layup to trim the lead to nine, but Carter answered with a field goal. Madlock made two free throws to trim the lead to nine again, but Sears converted a three-point play for a 12-point lead with two minutes remaining.

The game was tightly contested throughout the first half.

The Tigers scored the first four points of the game to take as big a lead as they would have in the first half, then the score was tied twice.

The lead changed hands seven times before Knox's field goal and Madlock's four free throws helped the Hornets open their biggest lead, 32-25.

Bailey's free throw trimmed the margin to six at halftime, but LSU didn't make a field goal during the final 5:34 of the half.

--Field Level Media