LSU defeated UNO 90-54 on Tuesday, and the Tigers remain undefeated in Baton Rouge this season, boasting a 5-0 home record.
LSU (6-2) jumped out to an early 14-12 lead in the first half before allowing a 12-4 UNO run. LSU was not down for long, as it went on a 20-6 run to overcome a slow start and take a 38-30 lead at halftime.
Sophomore forward Emmitt Williams exploded in the first half with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Sophomore forward Darius Days also made a nice contribution with four points, five rebounds, and two assists in the opening 20 minutes.
The Tigers led 51-37 coming out of the break, and freshman forward Trendon Watford, provided a spark off the bench LSU needed to pull away in the second half. He buried a three-pointer to give the Tigers a 32-point lead with 5:31 left to play.
“That’s just Trendon,” Days said. “Starting or coming off the bench doesn’t matter. He’s a good player. Everything is going to fall in place for him.”
LSU continued to dominate the rest of the way, closing the game out 90-54. Watford and Williams led the way in scoring with 18 points apiece. Williams and Days also recorded double-doubles in points and rebounds.
“It was a slow start,” Williams said. “As you can see, basketball is a game of runs. We started off kind of slow, but as you see we sped up.”
Coach Will Wade believes sophomore guard Javonte Smart has solidified himself at the point guard position. Smart ran the offense for the Tigers and scored 12 points, grabbed four rebounds, and dished eight assists.
“I was really pleased with Javonte,” Wade said. “The last two games he’s had seventeen assists and three turnovers. We’ve always had confidence in him and he certainly played well tonight.”
LSU will face another Southland Conference opponent this weekend when they host Northwestern State in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Sunday.