After busy Novembers, LSU, UT Arlington rested and ready

LSU and UT Arlington had hectic starts to their seasons.

LSU and UT Arlington had hectic starts to their seasons.

Now they've had a chance to catch their breath before they meet in a nonconference game Friday night in Baton Rouge, La.

The Tigers (6-1) played their first seven games in a span of 19 days, which included three games in the Cayman Islands Classic prior to Thanksgiving. They returned home to defeat Wofford 78-75 last Sunday, giving them a four-day break before the game against the Mavericks (4-4).

"It has really been a long 19 days," LSU coach Matt McMahon said.

The Tigers shook off a disappointing 61-59 loss to Kansas State in the championship game in the Caymans to fight off a tough Wofford team in a game that featured eight ties and 19 lead changes.

LSU rallied after falling behind 73-68 with 3:40 remaining. Even after taking a three-point lead the Tigers had to withstand three Wofford attempts at tying 3-pointers in the final 12 seconds. Adam Miller (team-high 17.7 ppg) posted 26 points to lead LSU.

"On a day where I don't think we played near our best, I thought our defense down the stretch was terrific," McMahon said. "We were able to make enough plays to get the win."

UTA was similarly busy -- playing its first seven games in 17 days, a stretch that included three games in the Gulf Coast Showcase.

The Mavericks took advantage of Division III Howard Payne in a 99-41 win Monday, giving them three days off before facing the Tigers.

"We scheduled Howard Payne on a Monday night with the purpose of knowing that we would probably win the game, but we could blow some bad air out ... rest some guys if we needed to rest them, and we were able to do all those things," Mavericks coach Greg Young said.

"No easy ones left -- that's for sure. Fixing to go through a gauntlet for the last five in the nonconference."

UTA plays North Texas, Texas State, San Francisco and Cal before beginning Western Athletic Conference play.

--Field Level Media