National Basketball Association
Louisiana State 87, Northwestern St. 78
When: 8:00 PM ET, Friday, November 12, 2010
Where: Pete Maravich Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Officials:
# Carlos Gonzalez, # Tony Greene, # Bert Smith
Attendance:
7842
By SportsDirect Inc.
Host LSU got 21 points apiece from two freshman guards and defeated Northwestern State 87-78 in Friday's season opener for both teams.
Ralston Turner and Andre Stringer helped the Tigers break open a game they led just 43-41 at halftime. It was 53-all with less than 15 minutes remaining, then Turner's 3-pointer put LSU ahead for good. The duo combined to hit 7 of 15 from beyond the arc.
Sophomore guard Aaron Dotson added 17 points for the Tigers.
The outburst by LSU's backcourt overshadowed a tremendous effort by Northwestern State senior forward Will Pratt, who poured in 29 points.
LSU, coming off a last-place SEC finish and an 11-20 overall mark, is rebuilding under third-year coach Trent Johnson. The Tigers might be inexperienced -- they have no seniors and only four eligible juniors -- but they have a formidable backcourt that should keep them competitive in the SEC.
Top Game Performances
| Northwestern St. |
|
Louisiana State |
|
Will Pratt 29 |
Scoring |
Andre Stringer 21 |
|
Logan McConathy 2 |
Assists |
Andre Stringer 5 |
|
William Mosley 9 |
Rebounds |
Garrett Green 6 |
|
Will Pratt 8 |
Free Throws Made |
Aaron Dotson 7 |
|
Will Pratt 5 |
Steals |
Chris Bass 5 |
|
William Mosley 2 |
Blocks |
Malcolm White 3 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
| Northwestern St.
|
78 |
41.4 |
7-26 |
13-27 |
8 |
30 |
3 |
14 |
|
| Louisiana State
|
87 |
60.0 |
7-15 |
32-46 |
13 |
30 |
4 |
13 |
|