LSU rallies late to knock off Michigan in Maui Invitational

By
Blake Lovell
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LSU rallied from a nine-point deficit with five minutes remaining to score a 77-75 victory over Michigan in the quarterfinals of the Maui Invitational.

Skylar Mays threw down a dunk with 1:18 left to give the Tigers the lead for good, with Tremont Waters sealing the win with a free throw with six seconds remaining.

Waters notched his second 20-plus point game, scoring 21 points and adding four assists on the night.

Aaron Epps added 14, and Duop Reath scored 13.

Charles Matthews paced the Wolverines with 28 points, while Moritz Wagner notched 24 points.

LSU shot 58.7 percent from the field and knocked down 7 of 17 attempts from 3-point range.

Lovell’s Analysis

What does this win mean for the Tigers?

“Obviously, you could tell by the way we reacted, that was a huge win for us, huge,” Wade said after the game. “I’m so proud of our players. We turned the page on our program tonight.”

He’s absolutely right.

This was a win that many of us may look back on in the next few years as the turning point for this program. And while Michigan isn’t a Top 10 team or anything like that, it’s more about how LSU won this game.

Even in falling behind late, the Tigers didn’t revert to old habits. They continued playing with the energy and confidence that Wade has instilled in the program, and that led to having a chance to win the game in the final minutes.

If you’re an LSU fan, that’s exactly what you wanted to see this season. And the best part is, it’s translating into wins much earlier than expected. The players have bought in to the new staff and system, and it’s already paying off in a big way.

Even if the Tigers come out and lose to Notre Dame in the semifinals, this Michigan win is one that proves that Waters and company aren’t settling for last place in the SEC this season.

The expectations are now much higher, and it’s all thanks to the culture that Wade and his staff are creating in Baton Rouge.

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