LSU Wins The ECC for Second Time, 96-63, Over DePaul; Thomas MVP
LSU junior guard Dedan Thomas was named tournament MVP.
NICEVILLE, Florida – The LSU men’s basketball team scored on 13 of its first 14 possessions and went on to an easy 96-63 win over DePaul Saturday night in the championship game of the Emerald Coast Classic at the Raider Arena at Northwest Florida State College.
The Tigers are now 7-0 for the first time since the 2021-22 season and won the ECC for the second time, winning in 2021.
Max Mackinnon was named to the All-Tournament team representing LSU and the MVP of the tournament was junior point guard Dedan Thomas Jr.
Seven Tigers scored in double figures this year led by Pablo Tamba with 14 points and a team best seven rebounds. Mike Nwoko, Mackinnon and Jalen Reece each scored 13 points, while Thomas and Robert Miller III posted 12 each and Rashad King 11.
Nwoko scored in double figures for the seventh straight game and Reece had six assists and no turnovers.
Kruz McClure led DePaul with 22 points.
LSU dominated the game almost from the start with LSU scoring the first six points and getting its first double digit lead at 18-8 with 12:36 to go in the first half. The Tigers used a 13-2 run to advance the lead to 27-10 at the 10:49 mark and led by as much as 28 in the final two minutes, leading at intermission, 50-22.
LSU did not let up in the second half, despite playing a lot of combinations, quickly getting the lead into the 30s, leading by as much as 35 for the first time at the 13:20 mark of the half.
LSU for the game shot 68.6 percent (35-of-51) for the game, the second-best scoring percentage away from Baton Rouge since 1956-57. The 33-point victory margin was the largest margin away from home since Feb. 16, 2000, when LSU defeated Ole Miss in Oxford, 97-53. The 96 points was the most points scored by LSU against a Big East team topping the mark scored against Villanova (91) in the 1990 Hall of Fame Tipoff Classic.
LSU, after an off night, was also efficient at the free throw line, making 21-of-26 for 80.8 percent.
LSU had 22 assists on 35 baskets and outrebounded DePaul, 37-19, with 54 points in the paint to just 16 for DePaul.
LSU held DePaul to 42.3 percent overall (22-of-52) and the Blue Demons were just 12-of-23 from the free throw line.
The Tigers now return to Baton Rouge to leave Monday for the ACC/SEC Challenge game at Chesnut Hill, Massachusetts against Boston College. That game is set for Wednesday at 6:15 p.m. on the ACC Network.
Quotes from LSU Head Coach Matt McMahon on the LSU Sports Radio Network:
Opening Statement
“That was a lot of fun to watch. I’m proud of our guys. To play twice in 20 hours. We finished up our postgame meal last night at about 1:00 in the morning. We didn’t go shoot around, we did all of our prep work in the meeting room and in the film room. I thought our guys handled it with great maturity and came out ready to go. It was all aspects of the game. I loved our defensive intensity and effort in the first half. And then the unselfishness, 22 assists on 35 baskets, 70% from the floor. I thought our guys were fantastic.”
On LSU’s historic night…
“I just love that it was efficiently done. We missed 16 shots for the whole day. We continued to impose our will and get to the free throw line. 22 assists to 15 turnovers and some of them were late there in garbage time. Then the balance, I believe it was seven guys in double figures and an eighth guy had eight points. So, I love that. I thought Rashad King, this was a big event for him, he really played well in the two games and that’s kind of my expectation for him. He was awesome. Then, I would love to praise, I know DJ Thomas was the tournament MVP and deservingly so, Max MacKinnon was fantastic all tournament, but I thought Jalen Reece was awesome today. 6/6 from the floor, 6 assists, no turnovers. And then Pablo Tamba, he’s been kind of an unsung guy for us, just plays hard, that’s all he does. He plays hard. He gets 14 points and seven rebounds. Elite defender.”
Presser with @LSUBasketball head coach Matt McMahon speaking on @EmeraldCClassic championship 🏆 #basketballonthebeach pic.twitter.com/mgRBhhVWga
— Emerald Coast Classic (@EmeraldCClassic) November 30, 2025