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.

Basketball: Oklahoma State (L) and Chaminade (W)

Mon, 19 Nov: Oklahoma State 83, LSU 77

Playing all but 6 minutes without injured (foot) Taz Mitchell, the Tigers staged a valiant but insufficient comeback in the second half. LSU trailed by 18 at the half and outscored the Cowboys by 12 points in the second half, but the run wasn't enough. Marcus Thornton (g) had 20 pts and Chris Johnson (c) had 19 pts and 5 rebounds.

Tue, 20 Nov: LSU 78, Chaminade 72

Big men Anthony Randolph (21 pts, 9 reb) and Chris Johnson (18 pts, 11 reb) led another second half Tiger rally to beat host Chaminade. LSU trailed 41-36 at the half.

WAZZUP with LSU being a second half team in football and basketball?

Next Game: Wed, 21 Nov against Arizona State at 1pm (ESPN2).