LSU men's basketball cruises past Omaha 99-73, improves to 5-0

It was another masterclass from LSU point guard DJ Thomas on Friday night, with the first double figure assist game since 2022 and he did it with zero turnovers as the Tigers won 99-73 over Omaha.

The Tigers are now 5-0 going to the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Florida on Friday, Nov. 28, meeting Drake in the first round of the two-night event. That game will start a series of five games away from Baton Rouge, four neutral site games with the ACC/SEC Challenge contest at Boston College splitting the four neutral contests.

Thomas became the first player to record 10 assists in a single game for LSU since Xavier Pinson did it for the Tigers in February 2022. Thomas did in in 29 minutes, recorded no turnovers, two steals and a block. Thomas also scored 15 points for his first LSU points-assist double double.

Leading the Tigers scoring was Max Mackinnon with 22 points and three assists, hitting 6-of-8 from distance. Mike Nwoko continued his double figure scoring with 14 points, while PJ Carter off the bench played nine minutes and hit four treys for 12 points. Jalen Reed also added another double figure game to his season total with 11 points.

Pablo Tamba did not have a big shooting night but he did have four assists and 13 total rebounds.

The Tigers shot 52.4 percent from the field (33-of-63) and 45.5 percent from distance, making 15-of-33 attempts. The 15 makes tied the fourth most threes in a single game for LSU. The Tigers were 18-of-24 at the line (75.0%).

Omaha (2-4) was led by Lance Waddles with 19 points, while Khamani Cooper added 15 and Tony Osborn 13. The Mavericks were 39.4 percent from the field (26-of-66), with nine makes from distance. Omaha made just 48 percent from the free throw line (12-of-25).

The Tigers put their stamp on the game early in both halves, scoring the first 12 points of the game in the opening 3:04 with Thomas opening with a layup, Mackinnon getting his first three-pointer, Tamba scoring off a turnover, Thomas hitting a three of his own and then Nwoko completing the run with a layup.

LSU led 50-37 at the halftime buzzer after leading by as much as 16 in the first 20 minutes.

In the second half, after the teams traded initial three-pointers, the Tigers went on a 14-0 run that took the game from 53-40 to 67-40 with 14:50 to play to give LSU their biggest lead of the game.

LSU would lead for 39:33 of the contest.

Prior to the start of the game, Omaha Head Coach Chris Crutchfield presented now LSU forward Marquel Sutton with his championship rings from the Summit League Championship Sutton helped win last year while playing for the Mavericks and his NCAA watch from the team’s appearance in March Madness.

Sutton was the Summit League Player of the Year in 2025 before transferring to LSU.

Next Friday’s game with Drake is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. and will be televised on the CBS Sports Network and broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network. LSU’s next home game will not be until Dec. 19 against Southeastern.
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Postgame quotes

Matt McMahon’s opening Statement…
“Good way to finish off the homestand tonight. I loved the edge that our guys played with and they had great energy. Defensively, I thought we forced tough shots. We were really concerned about Omaha’s three-point shooting coming in because they were making almost 10 (threes) a game at 39% shooting, but I thought we did a good job contesting the arc. On the offensive end, I loved the unselfishness that our guys played with. It was a good way to finish off the homestand and now we have a few days to get our team better before we start preparation for the tournament in Destin next week.”

On strong three-point shooting tonight…
“I think the last three games we averaged somewhere around 103 points a game, but we only made five threes and were 25% (from three). I know we’re a much better shooting team than that. I just thought our energy on the defensive side of the ball and that just led to some better execution offensively. Max (Mackinnon) really got us going there from behind the line and then PJ (Carter) comes in and knocks down some threes. Because of the effectiveness that Mike (Nwoko) has had in the post and Jalen (Reed) keeps getting better with 11 points and seven rebounds: it’s opening up the space. Of course, you must credit DJ (Dedan Thomas Jr.) with 10 assists and zero turnovers. (Jalen) Reece also created two threes for us. I think it was just shooting with confidence, unselfish play, and good execution.”

On his message at halftime that led to a strong start in the second half…
“Well, in the first half we only forced three turnovers. In the second half, we forced nine and that got us out in transition. I love our team in the open floor and I know we’re averaging 100 points a game right now, but I think we can play a lot faster. To do that, you have to play better on the defensive side of the ball, limit the opponent to one shot, and create some turnovers. I thought we were able to do that in the second half and that enabled us to stretch the lead to 20 right off the bat.”

LSU Guard Dedan Thomas Jr.
On what improvements are crucial moving forward…
“Our defense, for sure. The last two games we gave up too many points, especially tonight we gave up 73 points. We should have held them to a lot less than that. But credit to them, they are a very good team and they made it tough on us. We’re definitely going to work on our defense and rebounding.”

On his prominent passing game…
“These guys make it easy for me. Max Mackinnon hit six three pointers, PJ Carter hit three straight three pointers when he came in towards the end of the first half. So, credit to those guys they make it easy on me. It’s a good feeling though for sure.”

LSU Guard Max Mackinnon
On how the team has improved since Game One…
“I think we just gel more together. We’ve had more live reps and we’re more connected. We’re a brotherhood both on and off the court.”

On improved shooting performance…
“We just have to trust the hard work and let it figure itself out. We’re going to go through slumps, but I just have to find a way to impact the game other ways than just shooting a three. I had some shots go down, but I try to impact other ways.”
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*LSU press release