Recap from LSU's 85-68 win over South Carolina

The following write-up was posted by "Stromile Swift" on the Tiger Rant message board:

Well, I think it's safe to say LSU played its best game of the season last night against a South Carolina team that could finish in the top half of the league. LSU shot the ball really well in the 2nd half against Alabama, and it was nice to see that carry over to this game as they shot 53.8% from the floor. It should also be noted that through two SEC games, LSU has outrebounded both of their opponents. LSU really dominated the paint outscoring SC 42-22. I thought LSU played a really good defensive game and they never allowed Downey to get into a rhythm. LSU held SC to 44% shooting from the field and forced 18 turnovers. My only real criticism of LSU's performance is that they committed 17 turnovers. The Gamecocks aren't a great team by any stretch of the imagination, but they aren't bad if you consider they beat a top 25 Baylor team, hung with a top 15 team in Clemson and beat Auburn by double digits this past weekend. Now, if only Coach Johnson could get this team to play like this away from the friendly confines of the PMAC. LSU can win the SEC West if they protect their home court and steal a few on the road. It will be interesting to see which LSU team shows up at Oxford this upcoming Saturday.

Tasmin Mitchell- It took him a few weeks to shake off the rust from sitting out last season, but he's now playing at a very high level. He dominated the game last night, and he's really adjusted to his new position. In my opinion he really turned the corner after playing a very solid game against A&M in Houston. He scored 30 points on only 15 shot attempts, hauled down 14 boards and blocked 2 shots. It's nice to see LSU has another serious scoring threat when M. Thornton is having an off night.

Chris Johnson- CJ didn't play a great game, but I really liked what I saw from him last night. He picked up 2 early fouls, and that really cut into his minutes as he only logged 19 for the game. After playing a few sub-par games against inferior competition, you can tell that Coach Johnson has lit a fire under his butt. Last night, he did a little of everything as he was an effective scorer, facilitator and defender. He scored 9 points on 4-6 shooting, pulled down 6 boards, dished out 4 assists, and blocked 4 shots. CJ is incredibly athletic and this performance should give him some much needed confidence as LSU once again hits the road.

Marcus Thornton- Although he didn't have a big scoring night, I was impressed with his shot selection. For the most part, his shots really came within the flow of the offense. He was 4-7 from the field and it was nice to see him defer to another guy who obviously had the hot hand. Although the box score really doesn't show it, MT played another solid defensive game. His hustle and defense have really improved from last season. I have a feeling MT will have a huge game against Ole Miss this weekend.

Bo Spencer- A lot of people said he wasn't cut out for the SEC, but I think he'll continue to prove them wrong . His biggest contribution last night was probably on the defensive end as indicated by his 5 steals. He had a decent scoring game with 10 points, and the only negative I could really find is that he was careless with the ball on a few occasions. He only had 3 assists, but that doesn't really matter if you consider every other starter can effectively distribute the ball.

Garrett Temple- Although he struggled shooting the ball going 2-7 from the field, he still found a way to score 10 points. When LSU gets 10+ points from GT, they are going to be hard to beat. He just finds a way to contribute in so many ways as he pulled down 7 rebounds, dished out 3 assists, blocked 1 shot, and was credited with 3 steals. GT brings athleticism, length and versatility to the table and he's one of those program players that coaches love to have.

Chris Bass- The kid plays fast, and he's a nice change of pace coming off the bench. I've heard several people compare him to Tack Minor, but that's not fair considering he really doesn't turn the ball over despite being out of control from time to time. For instance, last night he played 12 minutes and didn't commit a single turnover. He certainly has room for improvement but it appears he has a bright future at LSU.

Terry Martin Jr.- Personally, I was really happy to see him contribute last night as he logged 21 minutes of action. I thought his shot selection was great as he went 1-2 from the field, and 5-6 from the charity stripe to finish with 7 points. He took very good care of the ball committing 0 turnovers while dishing out 2 assists. After what he's been through the last month, I consider this a nice bonus when LSU gets this type of contribution from him.

Quinton Thornton- I've never been high on QT, but I was pretty excited about his performance last night. He's not flashy, but he's the blue collar type that will give you some nice minutes banging around the basket. He logged 22 minutes thanks in part to CJ's early foul trouble, and he made the most of them scoring 7 points, pulling down 6 rebounds, blocking 2 shots and dishing out 2 assists. LSU's bench has been a weak point this season in my opinion, and it was nice to have two solid performances in Martin and QT.

Coming into this season, most of us knew this season would be filled with highs and lows. Just like I didn't get too down after the Utah debacle, I'm not flying sky high after last night. Yes, it was certainly a step in the right direction, but not a banner win by any means. IF LSU can somehow pull out the victory in Oxford this weekend, I will feel really good about this team as they then host MSU next Wednesday.

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