National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Louisiana State 75, Wake Forest 61
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, November 27, 2021
Where: Raider Arena, Destin, Florida
Officials: # John Higgins, # Jeffrey Anderson, # John Gaffney
Attendance: 1700

Efton Reid scored 14 points to lead a balanced effort as LSU defeated Wake Forest 75-61 in the final of the Emerald Coast Classic on Saturday night in Niceville, Fla.

In a matchup of teams that entered with identical 6-0 records, LSU controlled most of the action with seven players scoring between nine and 14 points.

Darius Days registered 12 points, and Eric Gaines and Alex Fudge each chipped in 11 for the Tigers (7-0). Xavier Pinson recorded seven steals to go with nine points and five assists.

The Demon Deacons (6-1) shot poorly from the field (31 percent) and the 3-point line (6 of 25), and their 22 turnovers didn't help matters either. Daivien Williamson scored 20 points to pace Wake Forest, while Jake LaRavia added 15 and Alondes Williams pitched in with 14.

LSU led 31-21 after a back-and-forth first half in which the teams exchanged lopsided runs. The Tigers scored six of the first seven points, then went about 6 1/2 minutes without a point, during which the Demon Deacons moved ahead 11-6.

A series of 3-pointers by Brandon Murray, Pinson and Fudge capped a 15-0 run by the Tigers, who took a 10-point lead with about eight minutes left in the half. Wake Forest then came back with eight points in a row to get within 21-19 before LSU embarked on the final run of the stanza -- a 10-2 surge, punctuated by Murray's layup just before the half.

Wake Forest finished the first half 8 of 32 from the field with 13 turnovers.

The Demon Deacons never seriously challenged in the second half. Days gave LSU its biggest cushion to that point with a fast-break 3-pointer that made it 55-38.

The Tigers led by as many as 19 points down the stretch and cruised from there to remain unblemished on the young season.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Louisiana State   Wake Forest
Efton Reid 14 Scoring Daivien Williamson 20
Xavier Pinson 5 Assists Cameron Hildreth 4
Alex Fudge 9 Rebounds Dallas Walton 10
Eric Gaines 7 Free Throws Made Daivien Williamson 12
Xavier Pinson 7 Steals Alondes Williams 2
Tari Eason 1 Blocks Dallas Walton 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Louisiana State 75 45.8 5-18 16-17 12 33 2 14 17
Wake Forest 61 31.0 6-25 19-23 12 34 3 5 22