Durham, N.C. — No. 5 LSU stayed unbeaten Thursday night, overpowering Duke 93–77 in the ACC/SEC Challenge behind a balanced attack that saw six Tigers reach double figures. Flau’jae Johnson led the way with 18 points, while MiLaysia Fulwiley finished with 16.
The Tigers improved to 9–0, ending their streak of eight straight games with at least 100 points — an NCAA record — but still delivered another explosive performance. LSU shot nearly 60% from the floor, dominated the paint for 52 points, and needed only five threes to cruise past the 90-point mark.
Duke, meanwhile, dropped to 3–6 after a difficult start to the season, a stark contrast from their preseason projection as the ACC favorite and a top-10 team. Ashlon Jackson paced the Blue Devils with 16 points, but it wasn’t enough to halt a skid that now stands at four losses, each by at least 16 points to Top-5 opponents: South Carolina, UCLA, and LSU.
Despite falling behind 14–1 in the opening minutes and going more than three minutes without a made field goal, LSU quickly found its rhythm. The Tigers erupted for 31 points in the second quarter, hitting 13 of 21 shots to take command. Turnovers — LSU committed 18 — were a bigger obstacle than Duke’s defense, but it hardly slowed the top-ranked offense.
Coming into the night, LSU led the nation in scoring (112.0 points per game), field goal percentage (.555), three-point shooting (.444), and rebounding margin (+25). Even against a far tougher opponent than most of their early-season slate, the Tigers’ firepower held up.
Duke shot 50% for the game, but the Blue Devils were never able to match LSU’s scoring pace once the Tigers seized control in the middle quarters.
Next Up:
LSU heads to New Orleans on Sunday for an in-state matchup.
Duke begins ACC play the same day, visiting Virginia Tech.
