NICEVILLE, Fla. — Pablo Tamba scored 14 points to lead seven LSU players in double figures and the Tigers beat DePaul 96-63 on Saturday night to win the Emerald Coast Classic.
Max Mackinnon, Micheal Nwoko and Jalen Reece scored 13 points apiece for LSU (7-0). Dedan Thomas Jr. and Robert Miller III each added 12 points and Rashad King scored 11.
Thomas made a layup and the and-1 free throw to cap an 11-4 spurt that gave LSU its biggest lead to that point at 19-8 about 7 1/2 minutes into the game. N.J. Benson made with a layup for the Blue Demons, but Mackinnon answered with a 3-pointer, Miller threw down a dunk and King hit another 3 in a 77-second span, and LSU led by double figures for the final 32-plus minutes.
Kruz McClure led DePaul (5-3) with 22 points on 6-of-11 shooting, 3 of 6 from 3-point range, and made 7 of 8 from the free-throw line. DePaul’s leading scorers, CJ Gunn (14.3 per game) and Layden Blocker (12.9), battled foul trouble and combined to finished with 15 points.
The Blue Demons didn’t have a rebound for the game’s first nine-plus minutes and five minutes into the second half, LSU had more points in the paint (28) than the Blue Demons’ total score (27).
DePaul’s Brandon Maclin left almost eight minutes into the game and did not return due to an apparent right shoulder injury.
The Blue Demons beat Georgia Tech 75-61 and LSU topped Drake 71-62 in the first round on Friday.
Up next
LSU: The Tigers play Wednesday at Boston College as part of the ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge.
DePaul: The Blue Demons have a week off before they host winless Arkansas-Pine Bluff next Saturday.
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