LSU Returns Home and Handles Business Against Southeastern Louisiana, 78-65
After nearly a month on the road, LSU finally got to play in front of its home crowd-and the Tigers made sure to put on a show at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Coming off a strong 12-point win over SMU in New Orleans, LSU carried that momentum right back to Baton Rouge, dispatching Southeastern Louisiana 78-65 on Friday night.
The Tigers, now 10-1 on the season, looked sharp from the jump. Senior forward Marquel Sutton led the way with 19 points and nine boards, shooting an efficient 7-of-9 from the field.
Mike Nwoko was perfect from the floor, going 6-for-6 for 18 points and adding six rebounds of his own. Freshman floor general Dedan Thomas Jr. chipped in 14 points and four assists, playing with the poise of a veteran.
From the opening tip, LSU came out with purpose. The Tigers pushed the pace after defensive rebounds but didn’t force anything once they got into their half-court sets. It was controlled aggression-fast when needed, patient when it mattered.
That balance paid off early. LSU hit six of its first seven shots to jump out to a 14-6 lead less than five minutes into the game.
The ball movement was crisp, and the chemistry was on full display. One highlight: a perfectly timed alley-oop from Max Mackinnon to Nwoko that brought the crowd to its feet.
Another came when Nwoko, not typically known for his passing, found Sutton with a skip pass for a corner three-an example of the unselfish play that defined the Tigers’ early dominance.
Mackinnon, LSU’s top outside threat, stayed hot after torching SMU from deep last weekend. The Australian transfer opened the game by hitting his first three shots from beyond the arc and finished with 14 points on 3-of-5 shooting from long range. His quick release and confidence from deep continue to be a weapon in LSU’s offensive arsenal.
But when Thomas subbed out midway through the first half, LSU’s offensive rhythm took a hit. With freshman Jalen Reece running the point and wings Rashad King and Ron Zipper on the floor, the Tigers’ ball movement slowed, and shot quality dipped.
LSU led 27-11 when Thomas exited. By the time he returned with just over five minutes left in the half, the lead had been trimmed to 35-24.
Still, Southeastern never got closer than that before the break. LSU went into halftime up 50-36, thanks to a late burst and some timely shot-making.
In the second half, the Tigers reasserted control-especially when their starters were on the floor. Nwoko, a 6-foot-10, 261-pound transfer from Mississippi State, was a matchup nightmare in the paint. He scored through contact, drew fouls, and even knocked down 6-of-7 from the line despite being a 66.7% free-throw shooter on the season.
LSU stretched the lead to 18 early in the second half, but Southeastern wasn’t done. The Lions ramped up their defensive pressure and started converting on the other end, cutting the deficit to just eight with eight minutes to go. At that point, LSU had turned it over five times in the half and was just 4-of-12 from the field-a clear contrast from their early-game efficiency.
That’s when Nwoko stepped up again, calming the storm with back-to-back post buckets using his left hand. Then Sutton buried a corner three to cap off a 7-0 run that put the game back out of reach. The reigning Summit League Player of the Year sealed it with five more points down the stretch, pushing the lead back to 16 with two minutes left.
In the end, LSU’s starters did what they needed to do. The Tigers showed flashes of high-level execution, especially when their primary lineup was on the floor. With Sutton and Nwoko leading the charge and Thomas controlling the tempo, LSU looked like a team that’s starting to find its identity-and doing so with confidence.
After a long road swing, the Tigers gave their home fans something to cheer about. And if this group keeps playing with this kind of balance and efficiency, there could be more big nights ahead in Baton Rouge.