NICEVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Pablo Tamba scored 14 points and led seven LSU players in double figures and the Tigers beat DePaul 96-63 on Saturday night to win the Emerald Coast Classic.
Max MacKinnon, Michael Nwoko and Jalen Reece each scored 13 points for LSU (7-0). Dedan Thomas Jr. and Robert Miller III added 12 points each and Rashad King scored 11.
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Thomas made a layup and an and-1 free throw to cap an 11-4 spurt that gave LSU its largest lead to that point, 19-8, about 7 1/2 minutes into the game. New Jersey Benson made a break for the Blue Demons, but MacKinnon answered with a 3-pointer, Miller dunked and King hit another three in 77 seconds as LSU led by double digits heading into the final 32-plus minutes.
Cruz McClure led DePaul (5-3) with 22 points on 6-of-11 shooting, 3-of-6 from 3-point range and 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 for 15 points.
The Blue Demons had no rebounds for the first nine-plus minutes of the game, 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 McLean left the game nearly eight minutes into the game and did not return with an apparent right shoulder injury.
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Blue Demons beat Georgia Tech 75-61 and LSU surpassed Drake 71-62 in the first round on Friday.
Next
LSU: The Tigers play Wednesday at Boston College in the ACC/SEC men's tournament.
DePaul: The Blue Demons have a week off before hosting winless Arkansas-Pine Bluff next Saturday.
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