LSU's Marquel Sutton and Max Mackinnon led the charge as the Tigers defeated SMU 89-77 in the Compete 4 Cause Classic at the Smoothie King Center on December 13, 2025. Sutton's impressive performance included 23 points and 12 rebounds, marking his fifth double-double of the season. Mackinnon, on fire from beyond the arc, hit six 3-pointers and scored 22 points, missing just one of his nine shots. Dedan Thomas Jr. and Pablo Tamba also contributed significantly, with Thomas Jr. recording 16 points and a career-high 12 assists, and Tamba totaling 14 points and 10 rebounds.
For SMU, Boopie Miller, Jaron Pierre Jr., and Jaden Toombs each scored 16 points, while Samet Yigitoglu had a solid performance with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The game was close throughout, with LSU taking a 47-44 lead into halftime. In the second half, Mackinnon's 3-pointer and jumper kickstarted a 7-0 run, extending LSU's lead to 10 points and maintaining a comfortable three-possession lead over the final 16 minutes.
Despite the loss, SMU had recently beaten Texas A&M 93-80 and snapped an eight-game win streak with an 88-69 victory over No. 17 Vanderbilt. LSU, on the other hand, was on a winning streak of their own, having won their previous eight games until a setback against No. 19 Texas Tech. The Tigers will now host Southeastern Louisiana, while SMU will host Central Arkansas on December 21.
Stay tuned for AP Top 25 college basketball poll updates and sign up for poll alerts here. Don't miss out on the action!