BATON ROUGE, La. (Interstat) — A dominant first-half offensive display propelled LSU to a comfortable 78-65 victory over in-state foe Southeastern Louisiana on Friday night at the Maravich Assembly Center.

The Tigers, improving to 10-1, built a commanding 50-36 halftime lead behind efficient shooting and a significant advantage at the free-throw line, then weathered a more competitive second half to secure the win before a crowd of 7,479. The Lions fell to 4-8.

The most important stretch of the game occurred in the opening minutes, where LSU established a tone of offensive control that Southeastern Louisiana could never fully counter. After the Lions’ Peter Hemschemeier opened the scoring with a layup, LSU responded with a decisive 10-0 run. The surge was fueled by forward Marquel Sutton, who scored five points during the stretch, and center Michael Nwoko, who converted a three-point play. This early burst gave LSU a lead it would never relinquish, setting the stage for the lopsided first half.

LSU’s offensive execution in the opening period was clinical. The Tigers shot 54.2% from the field in the half and connected on 5 of 11 three-point attempts. More critically, they aggressively attacked the basket, drawing fouls and capitalizing at the line, making 15 of 19 first-half free throws. This contrasted sharply with Southeastern Louisiana, which attempted only four free throws before halftime.

Sutton, a junior from Tulsa, Oklahoma, led all scorers with 19 points, showcasing his versatility with a pair of three-pointers. Nwoko, the 6-foot-10, 261-pound sophomore from Toronto, provided a powerful interior presence, adding 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field and a 6-of-8 performance from the foul line. Guard Max Mackinnon of Brisbane, Australia, facilitated the offense with 14 points and four assists, while Dedan Thomas contributed 14 points and four assists.

Southeastern Louisiana, which struggled from beyond the arc all night, shooting just 6 of 25, was led by Makhi Myles and Hemschemeier with 15 points apiece. Jalen Forrest added 11 points for the Lions, who managed to outscore LSU 29-28 in the second half but could not overcome the large early deficit.

The Tigers’ defense was also a key factor, generating eight steals and forcing eight turnovers, which they converted into 15 points. LSU also won the rebounding battle 33-28, limiting the Lions to just five second-chance points despite nine offensive rebounds.

Statistically, the game was defined by efficiency. LSU scored 78 points on 62 possessions for an offensive rating of 126.2, while Southeastern Louisiana managed a 104.6 rating on the same number of possessions. The Tigers finished the game shooting 54.3% from the field and 9 of 22 from three-point range, while the Lions shot 42.9% overall.

The victory keeps LSU rolling as it heads into its final non-conference tune-ups before Southeastern Conference play begins in January. The Tigers host Prairie View on Monday. Southeastern Louisiana, which has lost four of its last five, looks to regroup before its Southland Conference opener at Incarnate Word on Dec. 30.

According to pregame analytics, LSU was projected with a 97.3% probability to win and was favored by 23.5 points. The combined score of 143 points narrowly exceeded the over/under line of 143.5.