Simmons Leads LSU Past Auburn For Seventh SEC Win

Whenever LSU picks up a win, it's safe to assume Ben Simmons had himself a night. Auburn was his most recent victim.

The unanimous prediction for the #1 overall pick in next year's NBA Draft collected his 16th double-double of the season (21 points, 13 rebounds), and he flirted with a triple double again with seven assists as well. Simmons shot 9-15 from the floor, and he got a little help from his friends on the road in Auburn.

His post-mate, Craig Victor, collected 13 points (6/11 FG) and eight rebounds to help make the defense pay, and Keith Hornsby and Jalyn Patterson combined for 20 points on top. It was a quiet game for Tim Quarterman, who didn't break double-digits in the scoring column (9 points, 4-8 FG, 1-5 3-pt), but they didn't need him to play Superman ball.

Simmons' seven assists led the team, but the ball sharing as a whole led to a fantastic team shooting performance (34-60 FG, 56.7%). When you play on the road, a sweet stroke goes a long way quieting the crowd.

LSU took the lead in early in the first half and never let go. As the second half wore on, the LSU lead kept expanding. Any win on the road is big, especially in conference play.

The win moves LSU to 14-8 overall, but more importantly 7-2 in SEC play. With grumblings in Baton Rouge about Johnny Jones' job security if the Tigers don't make the NCAA Tournament, any win to help keep them on the right side of the bubble helps the cause.

Now the Tigers get to return home to the PMAC for a matchup against Mississippi State on Saturday. Every game matters for the Tigers now, unless they are banking on a run through the SEC Tournament.

It's called March Madness for a reason. If you're team is in it, you're part of the madness. If your team is out, your just flatout mad. With Simmons on LSU's roster, there is really only one acceptable outcome.