Basketball: Arizona State 87, LSU 84 (OT)

Tigers kept it a wee bit closer at halftime in this one, only trailing 43-40. Randolph had 21 points and 7 rebounds, and Marcus Thornton had 18 points and 12 rebounds (he's a guard, doncha know...).

I missed the OT, but watched much of the regulation play. The Tigers looked good at times, with some really good outside shooting and lots of hustle and bustle. But Arizona State answered every Tiger challenge, and LSU got in foul trouble with 3 Tigers amassing 4 fouls and Chris Johnson fouling out.

Here's a stat that sort of gives a flavor for the game. LSU was 12 of 33 (.364) - from THREE POINT RANGE. LOTS of 3 pointers, especially in the first half. Arizona State shot 6 of 21 from the arch. Although the Sun Devils played a much more physical game in the paint than the Tigers (get used to that, yall), they also played well from the perimeter.

LSU will stay in most games this year. As this young team matures and gains some game experience, I think their outside game will keep them competitive. Plus, LSU - barring stupid turnovers - has good ball control guards.

They don't pose a threat to the SEC Championship or the Final Four, but this should turn out to be an interesting basketball season.