The No.4-seeded LSU Tigers (18-13) play the Tennessee Volunteers (15-18) in the third round of the SEC tournament at Bridgestone Arena. The game starts at 3:25 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 11 and will air on SEC and ES3.
The Tigers lost to Kentucky 94-77 the last time they played. Ben Simmons played well in the loss for LSU, recording 17 points and 11 rebounds to earn his 22nd double-double of the season. The Volunteers, meanwhile, are coming off a 67-65 win over Vanderbilt in the 2. Armani Moore stood out for Tennessee, accumulating 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
Antonio Blakeney has really been playing well as of late for the Tigers, averaging 22.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2.2 three-pointers over the last five games.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Volunteers won the first game 67-65. Blakeney was a top player in the game with 20 points, seven rebounds, two steals, and two three-pointers.
Notes
Tennessee won its last game by a two-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, LSU is 2-2. Tennessee is 1-2 in close games this season.
The LSU Tigers have a defensive rating of 105.8 (ranked 85th), while the Tennessee Volunteers have an offensive rating of 107.1 (ranked 144th).
The LSU Tigers average a field goal percentage of 46.9% this season. The Tennessee Volunteers have a subpar record of 1-9 when opponents have a FG% of 46.9% or greater.
On average, the LSU Tigers attempt 18.0 three point field goals per game and the Tennessee Volunteers attempt 22.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, both teams have losing records; LSU is 4-10 and Tennessee is 9-15.
LSU ranks 52nd in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.30, while Tennessee ranks 89th with an A/TO of 1.21.
Tennessee, the 81st-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 38.1 rebounds per game. LSU does worse, ranked 121st with 37.2.
LSU averages 8.0 steals per game, ranking 20th in the country. Tennessee is a losing 4-7 when it gives up at least 8 steals.
