WATCH: Eric Gaines has huge chase down block against Iowa State

On3 imageby:Wade Peery03/18/22

The No. 6 seed LSU Tigers trailed the Iowa State Cyclones 24-19 at halftime of their first-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament. Tigers guard Eric Gaines has shown the affinity for the chase down block during his career with LSU. He recently had an epic chase down block against Arkansas in the 2022 SEC Tournament quarterfinals. Against Iowa State on Friday night, Gaines displayed his incredible athleticism for the nation to see.

Iowa State‘s Izaiah Brockington stole a pass and took off on a fast break. However, Gaines had other plans, as he trailed behind him, leaped, and swatted the ball of the glass.

That will go down as undoubtedly one of the best blocks of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The art of the chase down block is a very specific skill set and it seems to fit Gaines beautifully. Look at how high off the floor Gaines got before spanking it off the glass. This is Gaines’ sophomore season at LSU. This year, he averaged 9.3 points per game, 3.4 rebounds and three assists per game. The 6-foot-2, 150-pounder had one of his best games of the season against Ole Miss on Feb. 1, pumping in 16 points, grabbing four steals, and four rebounds.

Both teams shot very poorly in the game, but the shooting got much better in the second half. LSU only connected on 4-of-19 three-pointers (21.1 percent) in the game. LSU also had a team technical foul called on them in the second half. They had six players on the floor when the ball was inbounded, drawing the team technical. It was definitely one of the strangest and more confusing sequences of the tournament.

Tyrese Hunter of Iowa State buried a deep three-point dagger with the shot clock winding down to put the Cyclones up 59-54, with 20 seconds left in the game. The shot was a beautifully pure stroke and it splashed through the net, nothing but net. That would be the final score as his final two three-pointers proved to be crucial. Hunter drilled two clutch threes in the final two minutes of the game. The star freshman poured in 23 points, while connecting on 7-of-11 shots from beyond-the-arc.