LSU tightens defense, surges past Alabama State

Cam Carter scored 21 points and LSU overcame a 10-point second-half deficit to defeat Alabama State 74-61 in a nonconference game Sunday in Baton Rouge, La.Jordan Sears added 18 points, Dji Bailey scored 15 and the Tigers (2-0) used tighter defense to trigger the turnaround. They outscored ASU 48-20 in the second half.TJ Madlock scored 21, Amarr Knox had 20 and CJ Hines added 13 to lead the Hornets (0-2), who were just 1-for-20 on 3-pointers.LSU’s first five points of the second half came on free throws before Daimion Collins’s dunk ended a field-goal drought of nearly nine minutes dating to the first half. Robert Miller III followed with a basket that gave the Tigers a 35-34 lead with 16:13 left in the second half.Madlock scored seven points and had an assist to help the Hornets open a 48-38 lead with 12:38 left.Carter scored five points to help LSU take a 59-51 lead after a 12-0 run.Mario Andrews, who finished with 10 rebounds, had a put-back to end a scoring drought of more than three minutes and a field-goal drought of four minutes for ASU.Carter made three free throws and Sears added a layup to push the lead to 11.