Rueben Chinyelu, No. 16 Florida dominate the glass to dispose of LSU
Rueben Chinyelu matched his career high with 21 rebounds and scored 15 points for his fourth consecutive double-double, and No. 16 Florida won for the ninth time in 10 games by defeating LSU 79-61 on Tuesday night in Gainesville, Fla.
Urban Klavzar contributed five triples and a game-high 18 points off the bench as Florida (14-5, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) extended its current winning streak to five games following a two-point loss at Missouri in its SEC opener. The Gators also made it 16 consecutive home victories at Exactech Arena - dating back to last January - with 10 of those coming against SEC opponents.
Chinyelu, who on Monday was named SEC Player of the Week for the first time in his career, helped the Gators enjoy a 50-30 rebounding advantage. The junior center has 10 double-doubles this season, and the Gators are undefeated in those games.
Florida maintained a double-digit lead for the entirety of the second half as Boogie Fland and Alex Condon both finished with 10 points. The Gators pulled down 24 offensive rebounds - 11 from Chinyelu - and that led to a 21-10 edge in second-chance points.
Starting point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. returned to the lineup for LSU (13-6, 1-5) after missing the previous five games with a lower-leg injury. Thomas, who entered averaging 16.2 points and 7.1 assists per game, came off the bench early in the first half and finished 1-of-8 shooting for two points with three assists and two rebounds in 17 minutes.
Mike Nwoko posted a team-high 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting and six rebounds for the Tigers before he fouled out with 6:58 remaining. Marquel Sutton scored eight of his 10 points in the second half to go with seven boards, and Max Mackinnon added 10 points.
Points were mostly at a premium in the opening half as Florida, which has five straight wins over LSU going back to the 2022-23 season, managed a 38-26 lead at intermission despite missing 10 of 14 3-point attempts and six free throws. The Gators outscored LSU 15-8 over the final six minutes, punctuated by six late points from Thomas Haugh that included a deep triple from the left wing just before time expired.