LSU Men And Women Win Tournament Titles With Combined 13 Players In Double Figures

TIGER RAG NEWS SERVICES

The undefeated LSU men’s and women’s basketball teams each won tournament titles on Saturday night with dominating play.

The men improved to 7-0 on the season with a 96-63 win over DePaul in the championship game of the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Florida, with seven players scoring in double figures.

Transfer forward Pablo Tambia led the Tigers with 14 points and with a team-high seven rebounds. Transfer center/forward Mike Nwoko and wing forward Mac Mackinnon each scored 13 points with Mackinnon hitting 3 of 4 from three-point range.

Freshman backup point guard Jalen Reece scored 13 points with six assists and two steals. Point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. scored 12 points with five assists and two steals and was named the tournament MVP. Thomas scored 18 points with five assists in the Tigers’ win over Drake on Friday to open the tournament.

Returning forward Robert Miller III also scored 12 points, and transfer guard Rashad King had 11 points with four rebounds and three assists.

The Tigers led DePaul, 50-22, at the half and never let up. LSU next plays at Boston College (4-4) in the SEC/ACC Challenge on Wednesday (6:15 p.m., ACC Network).

LSU WOMEN ROLL

The No. 5 women (8-0) beat Washington State, 112-135, in the Paradise Jam championship game at St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands with six players in double figures.

Flau’Jae Johnson led the way with 16 points. Jada Richard had 14. And Amiya Joyner, Zakiyah Johnson, Mikaylah Williams and MiLaysia Fulwiley all scored 12 apiece. LSU led 54-17 at the half and also did not let up.

LSU plays at Duke (3-5) on Thursday (8 p.m., ESPN).