LSU Tigers Set for Clash Against UCF Knights in Greenbrier Tipoff

The Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers will seek to recover from their recent loss as they go up against the University of Central Florida (UCF) Knights this Sunday. Both teams will compete in the third-place game of the Greenbrier Tipoff, taking place at 2 p.m. Central Time at the Colonial Hall at the Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

The LSU Tigers and UCF Knights, both holding a record of 4-1, experienced defeats in their Friday games. LSU faced a 74-63 defeat by Pennsylvania State University, while UCF lost 86-70 to the University of Wisconsin, a nationally ranked team.

The Tigers’ game will be broadcast through the LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates, including Guaranty Media Eagle 98.1 FM, with commentary by former LSU Head Coach John Brady and JD Byars. On television, Jack Benjamin and Matt McCall will provide coverage via the CBS Sports Network.

In their recent game, Jalen Reed and Vyctorius Miller led the Tigers with 14 points each, followed by Cam Carter with 11 points. The team managed a 37.3 percent shooting efficiency, meeting challenges across both halves. LSU also executed five three-pointers and converted 14 of their 20 free throw attempts.

LSU rallied during the game, overcoming a five-point deficit in the first half to gain a 28-27 lead. However, after halftime, Penn State surged ahead with a 13-point streak. Despite narrowing their deficit twice using a four-guard lineup, which improved their offensive strategies but weakened their defense, LSU couldn’t reclaim the lead. «… So we went with a four-guard lineup to try and space the floor and find some different ways to score. I thought it helped us get some baskets. Vyctorius Miller was terrific for us in the second half. He opened up some space for Jalen down in the post but then you saw there were also some tradeoffs on our defense,» commented Coach McMahon.

UCF’s performance against Wisconsin was highlighted by Jordan Ivy-Curry scoring 13 points, with Keyshawn Hall and Dior Johnson contributing 11 points each. Despite their higher shooting percentage at 39.3, compared to LSU’s recent performance, they were unable to surmount the Badgers. UCF had an edge in rebounds with 41 total, including 32 points in the paint.

Jordan Ivy-Curry leads the Knights with an average of 16.8 points per game, closely followed by Keyshawn Hall averaging 16.2 points. Under the leadership of Head Coach Johnny Dawkins, in his ninth year with UCF, the Knights aim to capitalize on their early season victories, such as their win against Texas A&M.

Coach Matt McMahon of LSU remarked on UCF’s gameplay: «UCF is a really talented team, had the great win over Texas A&M earlier in the season. I think when you look at their ability to play in transition, they are one of the top teams in the country there. So our transition defense will be critical (Sunday). I think they are an elite offensive rebounding team, which presents some problems for us.» McMahon emphasized the importance of protecting the ball and improving shooting accuracy against a team that defends their paint effectively.

The Tigers are preparing through dedicated practice sessions, gearing up for their Sunday afternoon match. Following this game, LSU will return to Baton Rouge and prepare for their next match against Northwestern State on November 29 at the Maravich Center.

Additionally, LSU announced a promotional ticket offering for Black Friday, allowing fans to purchase a package that includes games against select teams in December and January, available through their ticketing website, LSUTix.net.