Ben Simmons returns to form with spectacular 43-point effort against North Florida

AUSSIE star Ben Simmons had an unbelievable 43-point performance for LSU as they picked up the big win over North Florida.

AUSSIE star Ben Simmons had his most impressive game of the season as LSU picked up the big win over North Florida, breaking their three-game losing streak.

Simmons posted arguably the most impressive stat-line in recent years, finishing with 43 points 14 rebounds, seven assists, five steals and three blocks as LSU picked up the 119-108 win over the North Florida Ospreys.

Simmons shot 15-for-20 from the field, 13-for-15 from the free throw line, and only committed two turnovers for the game.

This win breaks a three-game losing streak for the Tigers, who are hoping to improve their form as they look to put themselves back into contention for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

LSU came out to a slow start, while North Florida was seemingly hitting everything from beyond the arc.

Sharpshooter Beau Beech hit all five of his three-point attempts in the first half, helping the Ospreys to a 56-48 lead heading into the main break.

Simmons was noticeably more aggressive to start the second half, quickly jumping to 30 points — his biggest haul of the season so far — and eight rebounds with LSU fighting back to eventually take the lead over North Florida.

Ok @BenSimmons25 !!!! #balling

— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) December 3, 2015

LSU put more focus on pushing the ball in transition, leading to easy buckets on the offensive end. In the half-court, LSU made sure to get Simmons touches in the low-post, and he rewarded them with his 43-point effort.

“I’m tired of losing. I just wanted everyone to get energy and try to play as a team and get the win. Overall, we did that,” Simmons said, post-game.

“No one likes losing and especially not at home. It gave us more energy so it fueled the fire a little bit. I know everyone else is tired of losing and everyone is picking it up and contributing.”

In what was LSU’s best offensive game of the short season, every starter scored in double-digits, with Simmons backed up by Tim Quarterman and Josh Gray; who scored a combined 38 points.

Simmons’ stat-line makes him the only Division One freshman in the last 20 seasons with at least 35 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a game.

It also makes him the only major conference player in the last 20 seasons with at least 40 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals in a game, according to ESPN Stats and Info.

The last time an LSU player scored more than 40 points was in 2009 when forward Tasmin Mitchell scored 41 points.

Simmons is now averaging 19.9 points, 14.9 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.6 blocks per game, while shooting 53.8 percent from the field.

LSU has a big break before their next fixture, a road game against Houston on Monday, December 14 (AEDT).

Re-live the action in the live blog below!

Originally published as Ben Simmons returns to form with spectacular 43-point effort against North Florida