Louisiana State Tigers vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons Match Player Stats On Nov 27, 2021

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